A FAMILY of otters who have taken up home in Thetford are becoming mini celebrities in the area.

Wildlife lovers and keen photographers from miles around, including many members of our iwitness community, have travelled to see the otters in action.

Certainly not shy, the playful creatures have been playing up to the cameras.

Otter numbers in England and Wales declined dramatically from the mid 1950s to the late 1970s but their return to most of England is considered by environmentalists as one of the major conservation success stories of the last 30 years.

The main reason for this increase has been a reduction in levels of toxic pesticides, but improvements in water quality and an increase in fish stocks are believed to have also played a significant part.

Numbers were also boosted by Philip and Jeanne Wayre who began the Otter Trust on farmland on the banks of the River Waveney, on the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, near Bungay, in 1971.

Have you got any otter photos? Upload them at suffolk.iwitness24.co.uk