A SEAL found by the side of a country lane five miles from the coast or the nearest river has been released back into the Irish Sea after being nursed by staff at the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich.

The seal hit the headlines last month when he was found near the village of Capernwray on the verge of a country lane near Carnforth in Lancashire.

He was originally called Sid but was renamed Ghost by staff at Stapeley Grange because of his hauntingly beautiful black eyes.

He was released back into the sea at Hilbre Island, off Wirral, on Saturday.

RSPCA animal collection officer John Littlewood said: 'It was a fantastic sight to see the seal released back in his natural habitat.

'He was found a few miles up the coast in Lancashire but we released him back here because there is a healthy colony of grey and common seals.

'We wanted to get him back into the wild as soon as possible as he was healthy and showing a great appetite for herring. It was important that he didn't become too tame.

'Hopefully, he will thrive in the wild now and will not wander back on to land.'

Ghost's remarkable story began on November 28 when he was spotted by a 45-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter as they drove past in their Ford Focus.

They wrapped him up and put him in the boot of their car and took him to a nearby farm. It remains a mystery how Ghost was found so far from the coast.