This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-19391572#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Essex 'lion': Police call off St Osyth animal search | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Police in Essex investigating reports of a lion being spotted in a field have called off the search. | Police in Essex investigating reports of a lion being spotted in a field have called off the search. |
| The animal was seen near Earl Hall Drive in St Osyth, near Clacton-on-Sea, by holidaymaker Bob Martin at about 19:00 BST on Sunday. | The animal was seen near Earl Hall Drive in St Osyth, near Clacton-on-Sea, by holidaymaker Bob Martin at about 19:00 BST on Sunday. |
| Mr Martin said he and his wife Denise saw a large cat and a lion "was the first thing that came to mind". | Mr Martin said he and his wife Denise saw a large cat and a lion "was the first thing that came to mind". |
| Police officers decided to call off the search on Monday after no trace of a big cat was found. | Police officers decided to call off the search on Monday after no trace of a big cat was found. |
| A police spokesman said: "We believe what was seen on Sunday evening was either a large domestic cat or a wildcat. | A police spokesman said: "We believe what was seen on Sunday evening was either a large domestic cat or a wildcat. |
| "Extensive searches have been carried out, areas examined and witnesses spoken to - yet nothing has been found to suggest that a lion was in the area." | |
| Essex Police said about 25 officers were called to where the animal was seen, including about a dozen specialist firearms officers, and experts from Colchester Zoo. | |
| Two police helicopters, one with thermal imaging equipment, were also used to try to detect any trace of an animal. | |
| Police said all the animals at nearby Colchester Zoo had been accounted for. | |
| A member of the public took a low quality photograph of the animal, but experts at the zoo said a definite identification of the animal was not possible based on the image. | |
| Anthony Tropeano, Zoological Director of Colchester Zoo who visited the scene, said: "The photograph shows an animal in a field, it is a sandy brown colour, but the photography is of such poor quality it's not possible for us to say one way or the other what it definitely is." | |
| "There were absolutely no sightings of it during the time I was there. Nothing really to provide any further evidence to suggest it had been there." | |
| On Sunday night police had advised residents to stay indoors, but on Monday they said people should "go out and enjoy themselves" but "be a bit cautious". | |
| The spokesman said a circus had been in the area, at Clacton Airfield, recently but added: "Officers have spoken to the circus and confirmed that they do not have an animal missing, nor do they have any lions." | |
| The news of a potential lion on the loose captured the public imagination and three Twitter accounts - @EssexLion, @TheEssexLion and @Essex_Lion - were quickly set up. |