STAFF at RHS Garden Rosemoor were last week treated to the year's first otter sighting. As garden staff arrived on Monday week an adult otter was noticed frolicking in the lake in the west of the garden.

A visitor in previous years, the otter is believed to make its way from the River Torridge to fish in Rosemoor's lake. Staff are delighted to see it return as they were concerned that the recent spotting of a mink in the Cottage Garden might act as a deterrent. Minks are well known for their voracious appetites and can easily and quickly deplete the fish stock of enclosed bodies of water.

Garden manager Helen Round said: 'Rosemoor's woodland and lake are a magnet for a wide variety of wildlife. It's great to see our otter return again this year.'