Excited staff at Great Yarmouth Sealife Centre have welcomed the arrival of a new larger-than-life addition to their underwater world this afternoon.

A giant green sea turtle has been travelling overnight by road and sea from Belgium and trundled into the seaside resort just before 3pm.

Workers were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the giant male, who has yet to be named, as they have been without a turtle since long-standing resident George died in January.

George, who weighed a whopping 40kg, was a firm favourite with staff and visitors alike but had to be put down after suffering fatal kidney failure.

His continental counterpart is set to make an even bigger splash when he swims into the centre's ocean tank as he is almost double the size of George, and tips the scales at 75kg - a beefy 11st 11lb.

He is also set to be more than a handful for staff as the seven year old has been described as a 'bad boy' who caused a nuisance in his previous home.

It is hoped the underwater professionals in Yarmouth, who successfully trained their resident sharks, will be able to knock his bad behaviour on the fin and teach him some better manners.

Terri Harris, centre general manager, said: 'He's a bit of a naughty boy. In his last tank he was acting up and his feeding was a bit temperamental. One of the main staple diets of turtles is broccoli but he likes white cabbage much better, so it's probably going to give him a lot more wind!

'He's a got a bit of a bad reputation but everybody deserves a second chance. It's quite an exciting thing to do and my display team is really looking forward to the challenge.'

Once he has arrived the new turtle will be given a scrub down and released into the ocean tank to immediately go on display. The public are then being offered the chance to name the new arrival, with the winner being offered the chance to feed him.