Reporting by Chloe Selvester

A beaver has been filmed swimming along a river in Canterbury.

The video was taken by Sharon Patmore on St Radigunds Street after she finished eating at the Millers Arms pub on Friday night.

It shows a lone beaver rapidly swimming upstream against the tide towards the Kingsmead Leisure Centre.

Mrs Patmore, a psychologist, said: “We had seen a quick glimpse of the beaver some months ago but not enough to get a photo.

“When we saw it swimming, I quickly videoed it as I walked along the river. It’s very exciting seeing this wildlife so near to the city. Especially because we’ve also seen the kingfisher birds along this same stretch of water as well.

“I wish everyone could have the chance to see the wildlife in its natural environment.”

There have previously been sightings in Canterbury near the Sainsburys on Kingsmead Road and further upstream, two miles away, in Fordwich.

Beavers were previously extinct for 400 years in the UK after being hunted for their fur.

This was until Kent Wildlife Trust reintroduced the animals 20 years ago to the Ham Fen nature reserve in Sandwich.

A large number of beaver sightings have reported from Thanet beaches in the last couple of months, with several rescued.