A woman who was caught on camera as she straddled a dinosaur in a children's play area is being treated as the victim amid fears over how the picture emerged.

The woman was photographed standing above the model T-Rex half-naked, her bare bottom in full view.

The image, taken at a dinosaur safari trail in Exmouth, Devon, went viral after it appeared online and sparked outrage from parents.

The woman was photographed standing above the model T-Rex half-naked at a dinosaur safari trail in Exmouth, Devon. Police are now investigating as the woman claims she is a victim

The dinosaur, pictured, already had its head broken off and police said there was no contact

Police have now launched an investigation into how the picture was released online after the woman came forward and claimed she was a victim.

Devon and Cornwall Police said there was nothing to investigate regarding the original incident as there had been no sexual contact and no complaints made.

The force said: 'Police were made aware of images posted on social media which appear to show a woman exposing herself in public and in a local public house in Exmouth.

'Subsequently, an appeal for information was put out in the media and we have identified the woman in the photos.

Police said there was no sexual act with the dinosaur and they had received no complaints

'This was not a sexual act, there was no contact and at no time have the police received any complaint from any witnesses to this act, therefore there are no grounds for police to take any criminal action in relation to the person pictured.

'Local police are currently investigating how these images came to be distributed, as it appears that they may have been unlawfully accessed and distributed on social media without permission.