Seal of approval for free visits

Five pups have arrived in the past four weeks

A Cornish seal sanctuary is to offer free visits to schools.

Bosses at the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek said the conservation benefits of the visits outweighed the need to generate revenue.

"The more children who learn about the correct way to act when finding seals in apparent difficulties, the better," said the sanctuary's Rachael Vine.

The sanctuary's rescue season has already started with the arrival of five pups in the past four weeks.

As many as 40 or 50 more are anticipated over the coming winter.

"Our main aim is to reduce as much as possible the incidence of seals having to be rescued because of well-meaning but misguided human interference," said Ms Vine.

"This initiative will hopefully result in fewer such incidents in the future."

The sanctuary plans to organise the visits to make them as relevant as possible to the curriculum.