The carcass of a seal was mistakenly thought to have been human remains after a member of the public  on the seafront of a North East beach over the weekend.

Police were spotted by beachgoers in Seaburn, Sunderland yesterday afternoon (March 3) after a member of the public reported that they believed human bones had washed up on the shore.

Images circulated on social media showed a small police cordon as officers looked over a small section of the beach.

However, despite the report being in "good faith", the bones were of a seal carcass.

Get more content including the stories that matter to your community from The Northern Echo for just £2 for 2 months for a limited time only here.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At 2pm yesterday (Sunday), we received a report in good faith of potential human bones being found on Seaburn Beach in Sunderland.

“Officers attended the scene and it was established that it was a seal carcass.”