'Lost' grey seal rescued from field in St Helens

A seal found in a field in Merseyside has been taken to a wildlife hospital "exhausted" after being rescued.

The "distressed" sea mammal was found near Newton Brook in Newton-le-Willows at about 09:45 GMT, police said.

Police, firefighters, animal rescue officers and a farmer herded him with brooms and metal fences before putting him into an RSPCA trailer.

The grey seal could have travelled up to 20 miles (32km) up the River Mersey from the sea, before getting "lost".

The 5ft (1.2m) long male suffered a head injury and had discharge from his nose, the RSPCA said

He was taken to the RSPCA's hospital in Nantwich, Cheshire for assessment after the rescue, which ended at 14:00 GMT.

The animal was first identified as a common seal but, following closer examination, the RSPCA later confirmed it was a grey seal.

RSPCA inspector John Brooks said: "This is the first time I have ever come across a seal in a field.

"There is a brook nearby but that is only about three feet deep. If he followed the rivers and tributaries he could've travelled as far as 20 miles from the sea."

Police said once the animal has fully recovered, the RSPCA "hope to release the seal back into its natural habitat".

British Divers Marine Life Rescue Service (BDMLR) were called to rescue the seal by police after it was found by a dog walker.

Rachael Fraser, from the service, said: "We think he's come from the Mersey area, which is tidal, and he's come up the bank here and he's got lost.

"It's very unusual."

Steve Marsh, a colleague, said: "It's not an easy job certainly because they are large animals.

"They can be quite aggressive and we do have people in our charity that can actually handle those large seals."

Source: The Mammal Society