A FRIENDLY otter wowed walkers along the river Severn in Worcester as it played in the water.

The mammal popped its head up as if to say hello then popped back under the water in Diglis.

It was filmed by Cath Brown on Friday on the riverside in Worcester.

She said: "I saw him Friday lunchtime. I watched him swim upstream from near the weir to the bottom diglis basin lock.

"It was magical. He’d go under the water for about 20 seconds then pop out again to swim and roll.

"I could see from the air bubbles when I was close enough where he’d reappear.

"I stood and watched with another young couple out walking their dog.

"I’d have stayed all day but my dog was getting restless!"

Otters have been spotted several times in water around the city with a family seen playing around the bridge at the start of the year.

The Worcestershire Wildlife Trust believes otters are living in almost every waterway in the county.

In November last year, otters were spotted swimming in the brook in Gheluvelt Park.