A CASH reward of £2,500 has been offered as part of a bid to find the people responsible for shooting and killing two pregnant seals.

Tony Haggis, 67, has been left astounded by the response from the public after discovering the corpses of two “fat and healthy” seals along the Walton backwaters.

After the RSPCA issued and appeal for information, thousands of people shared the story.

Now Sea Shepherd UK, a conservation charity which aims to prevent and discourage the illegal killing of seals, is offering up a reward in an attempt to find the attackers.

The cash will be given to anyone who can offer information which leads to the successful conviction of the responsible party.

A spokesman said: “Information, video and photographs can be sent to Sea Shepherd at report@seashepherduk.org.”

Mr Haggis examined the bodies of two female seals, which were found in Walton Channel on Sunday, January 6.

He concluded the two five foot animals were around five years old and three weeks pregnant.

Wounds showed the seals had been shot with a .22 calibre rifle.

Tony suspects the animals were shot from boats by angler fishermen.

The law states seals can be killed in the UK if they interfere with fishing nets.

“The RSPCA have now visited Walton and have taken a look at one of the bodies,” said Tony.

“They examined the seal which had taken a shot to the stomach.

“The other one we believe has now washed out to sea.”

He added: “The Sea Shepherd organisation have been down to see us, they clearly do a lot of work with seal conservation.

“They are equally disgusted about this, and clearly lots of people are.

“I am very pleased something is being done about this and there is so much interest.

“Even if those responsible are not found, it will hopefully deter people from shooting seals or causing them harm in the future.”

The seals in the backwaters have a distinctive copper colour, caused by the iron oxide in the saltings.

A RSPCA spokesman said: “We would appeal to anyone who might have any information regarding this to call our RSPCA inspectorate line on 0300 123 8018.”