Two juggling sea lions have helped staff at a safari park pick their lottery numbers.

Biffo, 14, and Max, 12, dived into their pool to retrieve numbered footballs.

While balancing the balls on their noses, they leapt on to a podium, and gave their choices to keepers.

Twelve staff at Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside are in a syndicate for the EuroMillions draw, which has an estimated jackpot of £85 million this Friday. The two balls Biffo and Max chose - 7 and 3 - will be the Lucky Star numbers on the group's ticket.

Ellie Shurlock, syndicate member and sea lion trainer, said: "We usually base our lottery numbers on facts and figures relating to the animals, but as this is such a massive jackpot, we decided to enlist the help of Biffo and Max.

"They are renowned for their incredible juggling, so we chucked a load of numbered balls into their pool and chose our numbers based on whichever ones they picked up first. If we win, I think we will definitely have to treat the sea lions to a slap up meal of their favourite fish."

Max and Biffo have been at the safari park for several years and come from Belgium originally. They usually give a spectacular sea lion display in a purpose-built theatre.

A National Lottery spokesman said: "Huge jackpots like these really capture the imagination of players and we will be keeping our fingers crossed that Biffo and Max's luck comes in."

If the £85 million pot is won by a single ticket holder in the UK, it would be the biggest lottery prize ever paid out in the country.