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This is the moment a cheeky squirrel posed for a selfie when a photographer turned his back on his camera.

And its companion obviously thought it could do a better job of taking the picture, because it got behind the lens too.

Photography teacher Peter Smith was doing a photoshoot in Formby, Merseyside, to add to his portfolio of wildlife shots when the cheeky creatures gave him a surprise.

Mr Smith had only turned his back for a second when the furry squirrel jumped in front of the lens and enjoyed its brief minute of fame.

Alan Wright, of the Wildlife Trust, said it was good to draw attention to the plight of the red squirrel, which has been in serious decline in Britain since the introduction of the grey squirrel, as they compete for food and habitat.

He added: "We have a stronghold of these mammals on the Sefton Coast where they are showing signs of recovery after losing large numbers to a deadly virus.

"The exciting news is that this native squirrel is battling back and now spreading eastwards into areas of West Lancashire and Greater Manchester."

Here are some more animal selfies to enjoy: