A DINOSAUR found in Dorset is set to tour the Jurassic Coast.

Residents can get up close and personal with the 190 million-year-old marine reptile found near Charmouth.

A display showing off the ichthyosaur will be travelling along the Dorset and Devon coast over the next 12 months.

And the first chance to set eyes on the dinosaur will be at Lyme Regis Fossil Festival this weekend - just four kilometres from where the reptile was discovered.

The Natural History Museum's Dr Paul Davis unearthed the fossil two-and-a-half years ago and it now resides at the museum in London as part of the national collection.

Dr Davis said: "It's a real thrill to see the ichthyosaur going on show for the first time, so near to where it was found.

"The Jurassic Coast holds a wealth of stories about life millions of years ago and this display highlights how new finds are continually adding to our understanding of the fossils already looked after by the museum. Because the fossil was found in an unusual location, experts believe it may prove to be a new species.

Now, the team behind the touring display hopes to bring the dinosaur out of the museum and into the community.

Dr Sam Rose, of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team, said: "We are looking to put the display into venues where you might not normally expect to see this type of thing, like libraries.

"We are hoping people will go in for a book or a CD and come out understanding a bit more about the history of the Earth.

The display will feature the dinosaur skeleton and information panels about the Jurassic Coast and the fossils found there.

The ichthyosaur will be on show in the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis, today and tomorrow.

It will then move to the Lyme Regis Community Resource Centre for two weeks.

The team expects to tour East Devon until the autumn, before touring the Dorset coast until next May.

A full list of venues will be confirmed soon.