Essex Police have called off a search for a lion reportedly on the loose and suggested it was more likely to be a large domestic cat or wildcat. The Daily Mirror reports it could be a ginger tomcat called Tom that lives near to the original sighting.
Essex Police has not found any proof - such as pawprints or droppings - to confirm that a lion is on the loose in the area.
A spokesman said between two and six people claimed to have seen the big cat but there had been no further sightings since yesterday.
The hunt is likely to be scaled down tonight if no evidence emerges, the spokesman added.
A search for a lion in Essex has been called off, with police believing the rogue animal was most likely to be a "large domestic cat".
Police are responding to reports that a lion was seen in a field near the Essex village of St Osyth. Firearms officers have been deployed.