A SEAL pup which found itself stranded on a beach was rescued after being spotted by an off-duty seafront officer.

Lauren Fraser, who works as Tendring Council’s seafront support apprentice, was watching nan Doreen Sams run the Clacton Carnival half marathon on Sunday when she spotted the animal.

She saw the pup in distress on the beach at the bottom of Connaught Gardens West and immediately phoned her boss.

Senior seafront officer Scott Lawrence rushed to the scene and called the British Divers Marine Life Rescue after agreeing the seal was in trouble.

A member of the team was sent from Chelmsford and found the pup looking unwell and its neck was thin.

Scott said: “She felt that it was only young and still weening and had probably got separated from its mother.”

There would have been little chance for the pup if it had been left on the beach and it was unlikely to find its parent.

The member of the rescue team put a towel over the seal’s head to calm it down and Scott helped to put it into a crate.

It was then taken away in the car to a wildlife rehabilitation centre to be cared for.

Council tourism boss Mick Skeels said the council’s beach patrol and seafront staff do a fantastic job.

“Even when they are off-duty they keep their wits about them and Lauren recognised that the pup was possibly in difficulty,” he said.

“Scott agreed and they managed to get onto the right people immediately who could deal with this type of situation and the pup was taken away to be cared for. It was a great result and hopefully the pup will do well and be able to be released once it has been fed and builds up its strength. It was a good example of teamwork all round.”