POPPING her head above the water - Keith the seal was on hand to greet tourists as they made their way along the river Severn.

Grete Howard captured this picture of the seal as it was making it swam towards Upton-upon-Severn close to where the mammal has been spotted with a pup.

Mrs Howard was on the canal boat trip with her husband David and friends Lyn and Chris Gowler when Keith appeared.

"We were on our way back to Worcester from Stratford-on-Avon when Lyn spotted something in the river.

"Shouting that she had seen a seal, I initially didn't believe her thinking it was more likely to be an otter.

"But as it appeared to be following us and surfaced again a couple of times behind the boat, I could clearly see it was indeed a seal."

The couples mentioned to a lock keeper at Avon Lock who told them about Keith's time in the river.

The sighting on Thursday, June 19 comes before Keith was spotted with a pup by Sarah Louise Moore and a smaller seal was seen by Darren Nightingale both on Sunday, June 29.