POLICE and RSPCA officers are drawing up a plan to protect Weymouth's resident seal from attack.

The seal, nicknamed Sammy by locals, has been spotted on the beach regularly over the past two months.

However, there has been an increasing number of reports of people throwing stones at Sammy and videoing others doing so.

A spokesman for Weymouth and Portland Police said: "Officers met with the RSPCA to discuss the seal that is residing in the Weymouth area.

"All agencies involved will be working together to maintain the safety of the seal and that of the public using the beach where the seal is present.

"Please take care when swimming in the area and do not encourage contact with the seal.

"Please maintain a safe distance at all times to protect yourself and the seal.

They were forced to take action after repeated reports of youngsters throwing stones at 'Sammy'.

As previously reported Andy Tolley, an engineer, was walking along Bowleaze Cove when he saw two parents with their two children.

The children were throwing rocks at Sammy whilst the parents recorded them doing so on their phones.

Andy, 63, said: I was just walking with my friend and we could see the family and they were looking at something.

Then all of a sudden I could see it was a seal trying to come onto the beach and the kids were throwing rocks at it while the parents filmed it.

The kids were only about 10 feet away from the seal and they could have been doing some real damage to it at that close range.

The seal was trying to get onto the beach and, because of the kids throwing stones, it kept going back into the water, swimming further up and then trying to come in again. Eventually it disappeared as it couldnt get safely onto the beach.

I was stuck for words. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. There were other people on the beach watching them as well and I dont think they could believe it either.

I wish I had gone up to them and taken photos of what they were doing so that the pictures could be used to demonstrate what others shouldnt be doing. I was just gobsmacked.

This is not the first report of stones being thrown at seals on the beach as members of the public have been getting increasingly closer to the wild animals. A child was bitten last month after trying to stroke Sammy. A dog also attacked the seal.

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Police and RSPCA to take action over attacks on Sammy the seal - Dorset Echo