A group of jellyfish have been spotted in the boating lake in Poole Park, prompting a warning about going near the mildly dangerous species.

A witness said there were "thousands" of the unusual creatures and that curious members of the public were drawn to the area to have a look.

Margaret Smith, a local photographer, said: "[There were] all different sizes, little baby ones as well. I watched them for about 45 minutes and there were a crowd of people stood around that’s what drew my attention to them.

She added: “They were quite fascinating to watch. The geese and the swans seem completely oblivious to the fact they weren’t being stung or anything which I thought was quite amazing they were just swimming among them.

“The parks are just a haven of wildlife at the moment it’s amazing”.

Moon jellyfish are not one of the more dangerous type of jellyfish and do not dangerously harm humans or wildlife, but it is best to avoid them.

The tentacles of a moon jellyfish have stingers and when tentacles touch a person's skin when near the ocean, the stingers inject a venom that can cause red blisters which can be treated at home.

They are round and translucent with four circular markings around the centre. This type of jellyfish floating just below the surface of the water.