A baby seal was rescued from the mud flats at Oare by Faversham firefighters at the weekend.

The four-week old pup was pulled to safety after it became stranded on Saturday morning.

A passerby called the RSPCA after spotting the seal at 8.30am.

Firefighters were called and used mud paths to cross the flats and rescue the pup, pictured here by eight-year-old Ella Stewart.

The British Marine Divers' Association transferred the seal to a specialist vets in Hastings.

The fire officer in charge of the rescue said: “The seal was a bit underweight but seemed fine.

“It was a little bit feisty though. They say seals are cute and cuddly but this one was hissing and clearly didn’t like humans being near it."

He added: “If any more wash up I’d advise members of the public to stay clear and call the RSPCA.”