A SEAL which has been causing a stir on the river Severn has been spotted in Upton.

Over the weekend the seal who was named Keith, but is now thought to be female, was spotted in Upton several miles downstream from her previous hunting grounds in Worcester.

Just 24 hours early, she appeared content reclining on the riverbank near to The Ketch Caravan Park in Worcester.

Jackie Surtees, of Upton, snapped Keith swimming by the town’s bridge.

She said: “I saw her at about 10.30am on Friday morning. I’ve shown the pictures on my camera to a few people and one guy said he’d seen it before in Upton.

“We saw her by the bridge first, but we didn’t manage to get photographs. We heard a big splash and we didn’t know whether she caught something.

“A quarter of an hour went by and we saw her heading downstream.

Perhaps she’s going between Tewkesbury and Worcester?”

Keith has caused a stir with wildlife fans since she was first seen in the Severn near Powick on Saturday, November 16, by surprised members of Wychavon Kayak and Canoe Club.

She has since travelled up river to Diglis, where she was spotted chomping on salmon, before making her way back downstream again.

Despite being named after a Royalist commander in the English Civil War, it is believed Keith is actually a female.

Experts say she may have taken a wrong turn while trying to find a mate or is about to give birth, and could have travelled from North Wales where they breed.

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of the seal should call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.