British family 'terrified' after being circled by a shark on a Spanish beach - as mother, 27, describes how the predator 'zig-zagged' in the water and chased after her father

A British family was left 'terrified' after being circled by a shark just off a beach at a popular holiday resort in Spain.

Holidaymaker Jessica Kenny, 27, was paddling in the sea at Playa Arenal d'en Castell, Menorca, with her four-year-old son when she spotted a shark that came 'zig-zagging' toward them. 

She quickly realised it was following her dad, Darren, 57, who was swimming ahead towards some buoys, on Monday.

Passers-by began screaming and calling for the lifeguard - who dialled for backup and put the red flags out.

Children were hurriedly evacuated from the sea, but others were allowed to come close enough to video the shark.

Jessica, a GP receptionist from Liverpool, said: 'I was only up to my waist with my little boy - while my dad had swam ahead.

'We were laughing and joking because it was cold.

'Then we saw a weird thing sticking out the water - we were joking around, saying it must be a shark.

'But we didn't really believe it.

'It was quite strange, zig-zagging around us.

'As it came closer, we realised the thing sticking out of the water was a fin.

'We were like, 'oh my god - that's a shark'.'

The mum-of-two ran out of the water with her son - while others on the beach laughed.

But Jessica realised the shark - believed to be a blue shark - was heading towards Darren, who'd started swimming back to the beach.

She said: 'We'd lost sight of it after we turned around.

'But we then saw it was following my dad back to the beach. It was circling around him - but it wasn't going for him, if that makes sense.

'Honestly it was so scary, but my dad loves everything to do with the sea.

'When we were back on the beach, he was so excited.'

Jessica and Darren tried to calm her son down - who was 'a bit upset and worried' after the ordeal.

'My dad was telling him how lucky he was to have seen a shark at four years old,' she added. 'In all his 57 years, he'd never seen one.

'They decided to name it Freddie.'

The family left the beach at 4:35pm, an hour after the shark was first spotted - and the lifeguards were still trying to chase it out.

Darren, a lorry driver, said: 'It was such a surreal experience.

'I've always wanted to see a shark - even going snorkelling in Jamaica and Cuba just so I could spot one.

'I can't believe I swam with one in Menorca, with my daughter and grandson.'

The shark sighting is believed to be the first so far this year near a Costa beach.

A shark was spotted on the same beach in June 2018 when swimmers were also banned from entering the water for the entire afternoon.