Take the dog out for a walk and what do you expect to find in the field? A seal, of course.

Police and residents of one Merseyside town in England are completely baffled after one such water-loving mammal was discovered stranded in an inland field - seven miles from the nearest waterway.

The seal was spotted by a dog walker in Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens at around 9:45am on Monday.

The animal has since been contained by officers, with conservation experts en route to the location.

Officers have warned members of the public not to approach the animal.

Police in St Helens are liasing with British Diver Marine Life Rescue after a seal was found in a field in the area this morning

— Merseyside Police (@MerseyPolice) December 22, 2014

Photos showed the animal looking quite sorry for itself as it lay on a muddy patch in the field.

In a statement, Merseyside Police said: "Police in St Helens were called at around 9:45 this morning by a dog walker, reporting that she'd seen what appeared to be a seal in the middle of a field in the St Helens area."

"Police have contained the seal and representatives from the British Diver Marine Life Rescue Service are making their way to the scene."

"Seals are powerful animals and potentially dangerous. Police are advising the public to stay away from the area."

It is thought the animal may somehow have arrived in the field from the estuary of the River Mersey which starts at Runcorn.