A SEAL had to be rescued and moved to a new home after it was reported children were throwing stones at the animal.

Volunteers for British Divers Marine Life Rescue rescued the young female harbour seal from Hamworthy earlier this month and released it back into the water in Devon.

After capturing the seal, the volunteers checked it over for any injuries.

Tim Coleman, deputy area coordinator for South Devon, condemned the “cruel” behaviour towards the defenceless animal.

“We assessed the seal in a quiet area and we could see no breaks or serious indication of permanent damage. But throwing stones is cruel and should be frowned upon," he said.

“We try not to uplift seals as it causes them stress – we only do it when it’s absolutely necessary like when an animal is in danger.

“We re-located the seal to a different beach to give it the best chance. We looked at options to relocate the seal along the Dorset coast, but we felt it was too highly populated.”

Tim said the seal was adjusting well to its new home.

He is urging people to respect seals and not get too close to them or try and feed them.

“Seals, like all wild animals, should be left alone. There is no nutritional benefit to feeding them, and you can actually be doing more harm than good as they can become re-conditioned to accepting food from people.

“The trend is to get as close as possible to a seal to get selfies, but you shouldn’t get too close to them. They need their space to chill out and relax.”

Dorset Wildlife Trust has issued similar pleas to seal spotters.

They offered advice after a number of recent sightings along the Dorset coast.

Sarah Hodgson, a volunteer at the Marine Reserve at Kimmeridge, said: “It is really exciting to encounter a seal; however, it is important to remember that these are wild animals and protected by law so their wellbeing must be your number one priority."

To prevent causing stress to seals, the charity is reminding people to keep calm and quiet and use binoculars or zoom lenses to maintain a safe distance.

They also urge people never to touch or feed a seal as they have sharp teeth and a nasty, infectious bite. While seals can be inquisitive animals, if they approach you it must be on their terms.