Grainy 1930s footage shows a Jumbo pair of trunks in the sea!

The circus elephants’ daily trip to the beach was caught on film 86 years ago – and has been immortalised in the British Film Institute (BFI)’s archives.

The 10-minute film, shot by world-famous ring master George Claude Lockhart, shows the herd of elephants being led into the sea as a crowd of smartly-dressed tourists watch in amazement. Their keeper sits on their backs as they play and wash each other in the water, and enjoy their well-earned break from entertaining sell-out crowds, before himself diving into the chilly Irish Sea.

The black and white clip, which has no sound, also shows an excited visitor hugging one of the popular circus animals before it is led back up towards the Tower.

And although much of the resort’s landscape has changed since 1930, the Metropole hotel is easily recognisible in the background.

George Claude Lockhart, son of Victorian elephant trainer George William Lockhart, was the first ringmaster to wear the now iconic hunter tails and tophat, and was once described as ‘The Doyen of Ringmasters’.

He worked at the Tower Circus, which opened in 1894 and stopped using animals in 1990, from 1914 until 1945.

He also filmed a family and dog enjoying their garden in the town, and Stanley Park in August 1931.

He captured two young women walking through the rose garden and dipping their hands in the fountain, before running down the steps towards the bowling green. After climbing into a large wooden rowing boat alongside several others, they enjoy a leisurely cruise on the busy boating lake.

The film is also held in the North West Film Archive, launched in 1977 and based at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Mr Lockhart died in Blackpool in 1979, at the age of 94.