Disturbance of 1,000 seals at Forvie nature reserve 'not a crime'

Police were called after dog walkers caused an estimated 1,000 seals to stampede towards the water at a nature reserve in Aberdeenshire.

The incident happened at Forvie National Nature Reserve near Newburgh at the weekend. The seals did not return for some time.

The nature reserve is a protected area where signs warn people not to get too close to the mammals.

Police Scotland said it had been decided no crime was committed.

Wildlife Crime Officer PC Doug Darling said: "We received information about an incident involving dogs at Forvie Nature Reserve which happened on Saturday.

Seals are a common sight in the Newburgh beach area

"The circumstances have been reviewed and we are content that there was no criminality on this occasion.

"We continue to urge people to behave responsibly at protected sites and to take note of signage in place particularly when they are walking their dogs. Any concerns should be reported to Marine Scotland in the first instance."

The Ythan Seal Watch group described it as a "very serious disturbance".

In a statement, the organisation said: "We work to prevent the seals being disturbed in the first place."

'Great view'

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said in a statement: "While we all love the opportunity to see large groups of seals on our beaches, we also need to make sure we are also protecting them from harm.

"If you're visiting Forvie and come across the seals on the beach, our advice is to stay at least 150m away. When you see one or two seals' heads pop up, you're close enough.

"Seals can move surprisingly quickly and can become aggressive if they feel threatened. Please heed the signs at the nature reserve asking people not to disturb them. For a great view without the risk of disturbance, we recommend watching them from Newburgh beach."