British police investigate Essex lion sighting
British police said Monday they were investigating reports of a lion being spotted in a field near a seaside town in the eastern county of Essex.
Armed officers spent the night scouring the area, while a police helicopter with heat-seeking equipment was deployed to help find the animal, alongside zoo workers armed with tranquilliser guns.
Officers were contacted shortly before 7:00pm (local time) on Sunday with a sighting by holidaymakers of the animal sitting in grassland in the village of St Osyth near Clacton-on-Sea.
Essex Police said their officers had been working with experts from nearby Colchester Zoo who believe the reports to be genuine after being shown a photograph from a member of the public.
"Public safety is our priority which is why we are taking the sighting and all associated evidence seriously," a police spokesman said.
British police investigate Essex lion sighting - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)