A seal has been spotted at South Walney Nature Reserve with what appears to a plastic ring wrapped around its neck.

The sighting was made by a member of the passenger boat service Piel Island Ferry & Seal Watching which takes people out to see the only grey seal colony in Cumbria.

The man who took the photo said the animal appeared to be looking thin. The seal can be spotted among the others looking smaller.

Speaking on the Facebook page, a member of Piel Island Ferry & Seal Watching, said: "We have reported a seal with what looks like a plastic ring around its neck to Cumbria Wildlife Trust on the Walney seal colony. Let's hope they or the RSPCA (England & Wales) intervene as it looks very thin."

Advice on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust website states that approaching a seal with something wrapped around its neck can be dangerous and difficult as they are aggressive to approach and catch on land, and too fast to approach in water.

The Mail: South Walney has the only grey seal colony in Cumbria

Trying to tranquilise them can be dangerous as it can take a while for the drugs to take effect by which time the animal may have fled to the water and could possibly drown. The Trust urges people to dispose of litter properly to prevent problems for wildlife such as seals.

A CWT spokesman said: “Sadly this is not the first time that we have seen an entangled seal on the nature reserve.

"We have had multiple sightings over the past few years of a seal with fishing gear around its neck. Unfortunately, with the rise of marine litter and ghost fishing gear, there are devastating impacts to wildlife which is why it is really important to raise awareness about the dangers marine litter poses to wildlife and for clean up efforts in our marine environment and our coastlines”

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "We would urge people to report sightings of this seal to the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 so that we can respond and assess the animal’s condition. 

"It’s not possible to determine from the image what exactly the ring might be, or where it might have come from, but we know only too well just how much damage plastic can cause to seals and other wildlife, so a report of this nature is concerning and needs investigating."