MINEHEAD man Iain Cobb got close up and personal when this seal pup was discovered in front of Minehead lifeboat station.

Iain, of King Edward Road, is used to seeing seals from his boat and in the harbour, but was surprised to see this one on shore on Sunday.

“It was very interesting to see it close up and it drew quite a crowd,” said Iain, who snapped the furry visitor on camera and sent it to the Free Press.

“It had obviously been in the wars, with a fur patch missing on its head and its chest.”

People tried to give it some mackerel and to stroke it, he said, but the seal pup was not keen.

Iain went off to call the RSPCA – but when he got back someone told him the seal had been pushed back into the sea and it had not returned.