Seal pictured off south Devon with crab pot entangled around neck

The seal was spotted on a tidal rock off south Devon

A seal with a crab pot entangled around its neck has been pictured perched on top of a rock.

The photo was taken by Nigel Smallbones who was on a wildlife boat trip from Brixham, south Devon on Wednesday.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue said it "has a plan in place to free this seal" involving specialist equipment.

It said it is one of six known currently entangled seals on the Devon coast in what "appears to be an ever increasing problem".

A rescue team is going out on a boat to try and find the seal, and remove the material around its neck

Mr Smallbones has worked in conservation for 40 years and was on board the boat Kelly's Hero when he spotted the animal on Wednesday on a rock near Berry Head.

He said: "One lone seal was perched on top of a rock - just balanced with this ring around its neck."

Sarah Greenslade from the Seal Project said the seal was first reported to her on Monday, after it was seen near Dartmouth.

"All we could do is wait to see if it reappears, and then it was photographed by Nigel off Berry Head yesterday.

"Unfortunately it is a nasty problem, and this one is finding out the hard way that crab pots or something along those lines don't easily come loose. It will just keep getting tighter as the seal grows. It is a nasty situation for a seal to be in.

"It looks like a crab pot from the pictures, that's the general opinion."