A seal has been rescued after it was found sick and injured on a beach.

The animal, which has been named Hubble, was discovered at Camber Sands in East Sussex, with wounds on its nose, and was taken into the care of the RSPCA after the local beach patrol reported that it had not moved for 24 hours.

Animal rescue officer Brian Milligan said: “I knew there was something not quite right. When we approached him, he hardly reacted – that’s unusual for a seal.

“We used a specially-designed stretcher and, because the poor seal was so ill, it was relatively straightforward to contain him and move him into my van.

“I took him straight to our Mallydams Wildlife Centre in Hastings for assessment and treatment.

“It is likely the young, one-year-old male is suffering from lung-worm, so he has been treated with antibiotics and pain relief.

“He has been named Hubble and we are very much hoping that he recovers from his illness and puts on enough weight to be released back into the wild.”

Mr Milligan advised the public to keep themselves and their dogs away from seals spotted on the coastline as most are not in need of rescue.