A GREY seal that looked like it had been “attacked” washed up on a beach in Towyn yesterday evening (August 8).

A resident stumbled on the poor sea mammal on the beach, close to the Millers Cottage Caravan Park, and initially thought it was a sea lion.

The resident described the carcass as looking like it had been attacked, and said the situation was “very disturbing”.

A member of the North Wales Seal Research Organisation (NWSRO) identified it as a grey seal, and said the animal would be tracked for conservation purposes.

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They said: “We track deceased animals for conservation purposes.

“Marine Environmental Monitoring will collect fresh specimens to conduct a post mortem but even if not fresh, it's still very important that we track numbers and add to the data.

“Really sorry that you had to see it - such a shame.”

The resident was informed that the seal was too decomposed for an autopsy to be undertaken, and that the matter will be passed on to the local authority, who are liable for public welfare.

Grey seal are common in UK waters, with the British number representing 40 per cent of the world's population, according to The Wildlife Trusts.