A DEAD otter was found on the side of Harnham Road on Monday.

The carcass was discovered at the junction with Folkestone Road, close to St Nicholas Bridge, where suspected otter paw prints have been reported in the past.

Journalist Annie Riddle photographed the animal and reported it to the Environment Agency.

"We know they have been seen at Middle Street Meadow," she said.

"Why it should have been on the main road, we don't know.

"How sad it is that our first sighting of these wonderful creatures should be a dead one hit by a car."

Otter sightings are extremely rare in the city, even on the water meadows.

Trustee of the water meadows Jan Fitzjohn said she had not met anyone who had actually seen one in Salisbury.

She said she was very sad and upset to to think one had been killed on the road.

Wiltshire Wildlife field officer Lev Dahl, who is part of the water team, said otter populations were recovering in the county.

He said traffic was the biggest threat to otters, but seeing one dead could mean more were moving to the area.

"The return of the otter is quite well linked to the return of the of water voles to the county," he said.

Lev said otters were pushing out mink, which are the water vole's main predators.

"It's a really good sign, it's just a shame its a dead one and not a live one," he said.