'Shell' I pay for dinner?

© ZSL - Ian Stephen

He might be going on for around 70 years old, but this isn’t stopping one of ZSL London Zoo’s oldest inhabitants from gaining a reputation as a ladies’ man – as these pictures captured by head of reptiles Dr Ian Stephen, show.

Dirk the Galápagos tortoise, who weighs in at an impressive 31 stone, is proving that age means nothing when it comes to romancing in the run up to Valentine's Day.

The sprightly tortoise who lives with his svelte young ladies, Dolly, 16 and Dolores, 14, didn’t even give bemused Dolly time to finish her meal or get out of the bath before she was seduced by the persuasive pensioner - much to the amusement of visitors.

Nicknamed ‘Dirty Dirk’ the Zoo’s Romeo and his Juliets can be seen daily at the Zoo’s Galápagos tortoise exhibit .