A LARGE seal took a long rest next to a beachfront cafe this morning.

The enormous animal was spotted on the seafront in Rottingdean.

It was seen by staff at Molly’s At The Beach, a cafe in the undercliff walk and there were fears the seal could be unwell.

Staff at the cafe said they had quickly contacted British Divers Marine Life Rescue to help the stranded animal.

A spokeswoman for the cafe said: “We get quite a few seals washed up here so the British Divers Marine Life Rescue is always our first port of call.

“We rang them this morning and they are on their way.

“They told us the seal was a bull and to stay away as they are very large and can be quite dangerous.

“They said it looked quite old and may have come onto the beach to pass away.

“So we have put a sign up asking people to keep their distance.”

Several hours later the seal, with help, returned to the sea and swam safely away - with the exhausted animal having taken a well-earned rest on the beach, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue .

The cafe also posted an alert on its social media, asking visitors to “keep dogs and children away” and “give it some space as it looks like it needs a rest and will be scared”.

Formed in 1988, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue is an organisation dedicated to the rescue and well-being of all marine animals in distress around the UK.

It was founded by a group of like-minded divers who wanted to tackle the “mass mortality of Harbour seals in the Wash area of East Anglia”.