Cornish 'activist' dedicating her life to rescuing marine animals awarded prestigious prize

• Watch: ITV West Country's Claire Manning went to see Lizzie Larbalestier at work

A woman who has looked after hundreds of seals in her own home while building a new hospital for pups has been recognised internationally for her work.

Lizzie Larbalestier, from Cornwall, is a volunteer with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue — a charity dedicated to rescuing and conserving marine animals.

She joined the charity in 2018, and since then has rescued seals, dolphins and other marine wildlife, including a stray walrus.

Describing herself as an "activist," she has looked after hundreds of seals in her own home while she helped manage the process of building a new seal pup hospital for the charity.

Now, she has been awarded a prestigious Animal Action Award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) celebrating her work.

Speaking to ITV West Country, she said receiving the award was a "real privilege."

"It is about action, and I am certainly an activist when it comes to supporting our animals," she said.

"I love being out on rescues. I love working at our Cornwall Seal Hospital - I love supporting in a very practical way," she added.

Natalie Arrow, a vet at British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said Ms. Larbalestier has "gone above and beyond" since joining the charity.

She said: "She is extremely enthusiastic, and wants to be involved in everything, which is so awesome.

"She has put in so, so much hard work and dedication over the years, particularly with project managing the build of this amazing hospital."

She added: "We will never be able to thank her enough really. She is a really, really important part of our team here."

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