Has the Loch Ness Monster moved to London?

A video on YouTube has led to claims that the Loch Ness Monster may have relocated to the capital.

The footage shows a large object making its way through the murky waters of the River Thames near the O2 Arena, surfacing briefly before sinking back down.

It was shot by Penn Plate, while he was travelling on the Emirates Air Line cable car ride, which offers views of east London. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_original","fid":"93142","attributes":{"class":"media-image"}}]]

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"This was on the cable car in Greenwich yesterday. Something huge was moving under the water and then briefly surfaced," he wrote.

"Are there whales in the Thames? Or is it some weird submarine."

The video, which has been seen more than 800,000 times, has drawn almost 300 comments since it was posted late last month.

"Thats obviously a giant man-eating, boat sinking sea monster," said Ninja Warrior Dude, while another user simply wrote: "Nessie!"

Many questioned the video's authenticity, with some wondering whether it was a viral marketing campaign.

"While it's unlikely that Penn really did see the Loch Ness Monster it wouldn't be the first time an unusual creature has been spotted in the capital's river," notes the Daily Mail.

In January 2006, a northern bottle-nosed whale spent several days in the Thames after becoming lost while heading for the deep waters of the North Atlantic.

Around 50 whales and 450 porpoises and dolphins have been reported to have been seen in the years since, says Metro.