A seal made the most of the good weather by sunbathing in a moored boat.

Paul and Sarah Aldridge were sailing back to moor their boat at the Marconi Sailing Club in Steeple when they saw the cheeky pup lying in the bottom of a moored boat.

Mrs Aldridge, of Rosemary Avenue, Braintree, said: “It was basking in the sun light and we were quite close to him and were able to have a good old look.

“He wasn’t bothered by us at all, we sailed round him about four times.

“People have said down at the sailing club that they climb up into the boats and chill out but we’ve never seen it.

“You normally just see a head bobbing up and down, it’s the first time I’ve seen one so close.

“I think it was a pup as it was still spotty.

“I feel quite privileged, it was lovely.”