Seal pups released into the sea

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Female pup Tokyo was found at Whitby

Three underweight seal pups rescued from the Yorkshire coast have been released back into the wild.

The five-month-old pups, named Bruges, Tokyo and Dallas, got into difficulty during a week in August and were taken to Scarborough's Sea Life Centre.

They have been nursed back to health by volunteers and were released into the sea at Seal Sands on Teesside earlier.

It is hoped that males Bruges and Dallas, and female Tokyo, will now find mates.

Bruges and Tokyo were found at Whitby, and Dallas was rescued at Barmston Beach in East Yorkshire.

The pups, all harbour seals, were suffering from lung worm, which contributed to their low weight.

Diver Lesley Salisbury, a volunteer with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity, helped care for the seals as they recovered.

Speaking as Tokyo was released, she said: "When I got to her she was really, really poorly and to be perfectly honest I didn't think she was going to last the night let alone live through for me to be able to release her, which was a very magical, emotional moment."

Seal Sands is a nature reserve which supports the only regular breeding colony of harbour seals on the north-east coast of England.