Families on a Kent beach were wowed after an inquisitive seal paid them a visit.

The adult seal was the talk of the day in Folkestone after he visited the beach for a rest.

Resident Suzanne Adams was at the beach with her family, and saw the mammal frolicking on the stones.

She said: "We thought he was a rock when we first came down, before he started moving!

"I've lived in the area my whole life, and while we've known that seals do pop up from time to time we've never been lucky enough to see one until now.

"The RSPCA came down and told us that it was an adult male, and that he was in the middle of maulting season.

"He had just come onto the beach for a bit of a rest, really!"

It is not uncommon for seals to be seen on the coast around Kent, and the RSPCA regularly warn the public against disturbing them on land or in the sea.

However, Mrs Adams said that there were no such dangers yesterday.

She said: "My daughter, bless her, she's five and she told a boy off for getting too close and trying to bother him.

"My son is an eco-councillor at his school and he told me, 'Mum, I have to protect him, it's my duty'!

"Of course there were a few grown-ups including myself around and we made sure that nobody else was disturbing him.

"We did have to have a word with a few teenagers who were trying to get his attention but other than that everyone was very respectful, which is refreshing to see.

"We were there for about three hours and he went off happy and undisturbed."

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