An otter has been sighted in daylight close to the centre of Romsey.

Two Advertiser readers reported seeing the otter swimming in the Test at Sadlers Mill.

Fisherman Geoffrey Sturgess watched an otter for around 20 minutes playing and fishing in the shallows immediately downstream of the mill on November 28.

“Otters are beautiful creatures but rarely seen as they are very shy. This one seems to have realised that walkers at Sadlers Mill will do it no harm. If it is female, perhaps next summer we might see her with pups,” said Geoffrey.

Tony Spynx-Jeall reported seeing an otter in the same spot the day before at around 3.20pm as he walked along the causeway.

“I watched it for about ten minutes as it performed acrobatics in the water” said Tony.

Dr Ben Rushbrook, an ecologist with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said otters were not unheard of in built-up areas and that they had often been spotted at Winchester City Mill and nearby Water Lane.

However, he added: “It is unusual to see them in one spot for so long in the middle of the day.”

Dr Rushbrook said late autumn was a good time to spot otters as they were out and about feeding up for winter and also there was less vegetation to obscure their movements.

He said otters were thriving on both the Test and the Itchen and populations were probably at their maximum.

“Otters are very territorial and there’s only so many that can live on any stretch of river,” he explained.