Beachgoers in Cornwall have been issued a warning after the bodies of five dead seals on the Cornish coast were discovered.

It has been confirmed by the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) that the five carcasses recently found had all died of bird flu.

Now, Cornwall Wildlife Trust has issued an alert to the public, warning them against approaching and interacting with seals in the UK, even when the animals are in danger or distress.

Furthermore, the trust is urging all members of the public to stay away from all dead animals which wash into the beaches, including seals, dolphins, porpoises, whales, and sea birds.

However, a spokesperson for the charity assured the public that as of yet, there have not been any cases of Avian Influenza Flu (AIV) directly from seals to humans or vice-versa. The spokesperson said: "Although the UK is home to 38% of the entire world’s population of grey seals, and 30% of the European subspecies of common seals, there have never been reports of AIV transmitting from seals to humans, or vice versa, in the UK."In light of this, Cornwall Wildlife Trust's marine strandings team has confirmed that they are taking extra precautions within the project, which will sit alongside their high standards of health and safety.

A spokesperson for the MSN team confirmed that it is now mandatory for all volunteers attending strandings to wear face masks and wear protective eyewear in addition to their usual PPE (disposable gloves and full waterproofs which must be disinfected after use) and cleaning processes.Any dead or stranded animal can be reported to the Marine Strandings Network (MSN) on 0345 201 2626 while keeping a distance.