Britain's biggest sea turtles are settling into a new home in Brighton after making an eight-hour trip from Blackpool.

The three giant turtles travelled more than 300 miles through the night from Blackpool Tower Aquarium to arrive at Brighton Sea Life Centre on Thursday morning.

Aquarium curators in Blackpool decided the turtles - which all weigh more than 20 stone and are more than 50 years old - would be happier in the 750,000-litre ocean tank at the Sea Life Centre.

And the trio, who made the journey in separate vans on mattresses kept moist with sea water, have been reunited in Brighton with a former companion, Gulliver.

They are the oldest, biggest turtles in captivity, certainly in Britain, probably in the whole of Europe Mark Oakley, Brighton Sea Life Centre

Mark Oakley, of Brighton Sea Life Centre, said the complex operation to move the turtles had started by draining their tank in Blackpool.

"Each turtle had to be carefully coaxed onto a harness and hoisted from the tank in the Undersea World aquarium and then carried out to the waiting Transit vans.

"They are the oldest, biggest turtles in captivity, certainly in Britain, probably in the whole of Europe.

"The tank they were in in Blackpool they had outgrown and the Tower owners and curator Arthur Ruffell reluctantly decided that in their best interest they needed to move to bigger premises.

The turtles outgrew their tank in Blackpool Tower

"This tank contains 750,000 litres, it's 3m deep - they've got lots and lots of room in here."

Gulliver, a male green sea turtle, shared a tank with two other green turtles, male Molokai and female Lulu, and female loggerhead Jersey for 19 years at Blackpool Tower before being moved a year ago.

All four turtles had previously spent 30 years together at London Zoo.

Soap commercial

The largest is Lulu, weighing in at more than 26 stone and measuring 5 ft long.

Jersey, the loggerhead turtle, was named after the Channel Island where she was found hidden in seaweed in 1950. She now eats 10lb of fish a week.

Lulu, Gulliver and Molokai are believed to have been imported into Britain by an advertising agency to star in a soap commercial.

In April, Gulliver and Molokai will move again, to the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham.