AN AQUATIC visitor has popped up in Christchurch Harbour to give its seal of approval to the jubilee festivities.

Harbour users and riverside walkers over the weekend have reported sightings of a seal swimming happily in the River Stour as far upstream as Iford.

Guy Dixon from Christchurch was walking upstream from the bridge linking the old and new golf courses at Iford on Sunday afternoon when he spied the seal bobbing along in the water.

He said: "I thought at first it was an otter, but it was too big. It is not unheard of, but it is certainly unusual to see a seal in the river."

Jenny Waldron, conservation officer with the Poole-based EarthKind marine conservation group, thought the seal could be the same one which was first spotted in Christchurch harbour last autumn.

The young grey seal caused a stir when it first appeared in September sunning itself on riverside landing stages, and there were reports later in the year from anglers that the marine mammal was seen upstream.

Jenny has tried in vain to catch up with the elusive seal herself to make a positive identification and has appealed for anyone with recent photographs to contact her on 01202 682344.

She said: "If this is the same seal, it seems quite happy to hang around the harbour where there are lots of fish and it is sheltered."

"We know of two or three seals that frequent the area."