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A set of tracks found on a public beach in the United Kingdom are thought to originate from colossal, long-necked dinosaurs who used to "gather" in the area.

If it proves true it could change Britain's understanding of dinosaur history.

A new paper published in the journal Geological Magazine this week suggests they are from a group 200-million-year-old Triassic sauropods.

The footprints were discovered by amateur palaeontologist Kerry Rees on a beach in Penarth, Wales last year.

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They appear over a 50 metre long stretch of shoreline.

The study said "evidence of Late Triassic large tetrapods from the UK is rare" before adding the tracks haven't yet been linked to an exact species.

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Co-author of the paper, Professor Paul Barrett, who researches dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum in London said the number of footprints makes it possible the site was a place where sauropods gathered.

"There are hints of trackways being made by individual animals, but because there are so many prints of slightly different sizes, we believe there is more than one trackmaker involved," he said.

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"These types of tracks are not particularly common worldwide, so we believe this is an interesting addition to our knowledge of Triassic life in the UK.

"Our record of Triassic dinosaurs in this country is fairly small, so anything we can find from the period adds to our picture of what was going on at that time."

Sauropod dinosaurs were herbivorous and the largest terrestrial animals to roam the earth.

They first evolved in the early Jurassic period, 201 million to 174 million years ago, and persisted into the Cretaceous Period.

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In May this year, a team of palaeontologists found large bones belonging to a sauropod dinosaur in outback Queensland.

Robyn Mackenzie, Director and Palaeontologist for the Eromanga Natural History Museum, told 9News.com.au the bones likely belong to a new species, which she estimated to be around 95 million years old.

A truck driver spending 110 years in prison for an explosive crash that killed four people in the US will have his sentence slashed to just 10 years.

Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis confirmed Rogel Aguilera-Mederos' will now be eligible for parole in December 2026, calling the 26-year-old's original sentence "highly atypical and unjust" in his commutation letter today.

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In his clemency letter, Governor Polis said: "I am writing to inform you that I am granting your application for a commutation.

"After learning about the highly atypical and unjust sentence in your case, I am commuting your sentence to 10 years and granting you parole eligibility on December 30, 2026.

"The clemency power is reserved for only the most unique and deserving cases. My decision today is based solely on the circumstances of your case."

Before his original sentence, Mr Aguilera-Mederos testified that he was hauling lumber when the brakes on his semi-trailer failed as he was descending a steep grade of Interstate 70 in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Denver on April 25, 2019.

His truck ploughed into vehicles that had slowed because of another wreck, setting off a chain-reaction wreck and a fireball that consumed vehicles and melted parts of the highway.

The now jailed man wept as he apologised to the victims' families at his December 13 sentencing.

"When I look at my charges, we are talking about a murderer, which is not me," he said.

"I have never thought about hurting anybody in my entire life."

The crash killed 24-year-old Miguel Angel Lamas Arellano, 67-year-old William Bailey, 61-year-old Doyle Harrison and 69-year-old Stanley Politano.

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Relatives of victims supported at least some prison time at his sentencing hearing, but said the 110 year sentence was too much.

Prosecutors filed a motion earlier this month asking for a reduced sentence and District Attorney Alexis King had asked the court to reconsider the original sentence, suggesting a range of 20-30 years behind bars instead.

But Governor Polis today confirmed the sentence will be commuted to just 10 years after more than five million people signed a petition calling for leniency.

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From rescued toddlers to massive lotto wins, reunions and rare animal sightings, this is the news that'll make you smile.

A sheriff's deputy shot a Malayan tiger that grabbed the arm of a man who was either feeding or petting the animal at a zoo in southwest Florida, authorities said.

The Collier County Sheriff's Office said the man, believed to be in his 20s, was seriously injured on Wednesday evening when he entered an unauthorised area near the tiger's enclosure at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens.

The man works for a third-party cleaning service contracted to clean restrooms and the gift shop, the sheriff's office said.

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News outlets reported the eight-year-old tiger named Eko later died.

The zoo posted on its website that it will remain closed on Thursday.

“Preliminary information indicates that the man was either petting or feeding the animal, both of which are unauthorised and dangerous activities," the sheriff's report said.

Investigators said they believe the tiger grabbed the man’s arm after he breached a barrier fence and put his arm through the fence surrounding the enclosure.

The first deputy to arrive at the scene kicked the enclosure to try to get the tiger to release the man's arm from its mouth.

“But the deputy was forced to shoot the animal," the report said.

The man was taken to a hospital in nearby Fort Myers, officials said.

His name was not released and his condition was not known on Thursday.

According to the sheriff's office, the tiger retreated back into its enclosure after being shot. Deputies flew a drone inside and found the tiger was not responsive.

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A veterinarian later sedated the tiger and had planned to examine the animal, the report said.

On Tuesday, the zoo's Facebook page featured a photo of Eko.

The Malayan tiger is one of the smallest tiger species found throughout the southern and central Malay Peninsula and southern parts of Thailand, according to Malaysian Wildlife.

It is the national symbol of Malaysia.

In 2016, a Malayan tiger attacked and killed a zookeeper at the Palm Beach Zoo. An autopsy found that Stacey Konwiser, 38, died of a fractured spine, a lacerated jugular and other neck injuries suffered when she was attacked by the 12-year-old tiger named Hati.