British Firearms officers and police helicopters have joined the hunt for a lion that is thought to be roaming loose in Essex.
Residents were told to stay indoors as search teams worked throughout the night to track down the large cat, which was spotted in a field by a member of the public on Sunday night.
Essex Police have enlisted the help of experts from Colchester Zoo who believe the sighting is genuine after viewing a photograph of the animal taken by a local.
Two police helicopters using heat-seeking equipment have been involved in the hunt for the animal, while zoo workers said to be armed with tranquilliser guns have also joined armed officers.
The big cat was seen in fields off Earls Hall Drive in St Osyth, near Clacton, Essex, just before 7pm on Sunday local time.
Police immediately issued a warning to residents to stay inside their homes as officers began a search near where the animal was spotted.
Che Kevlin said he heard what he believed to be a roar while out walking his dog last night.
"I heard a loud roar at 10pm. It sounded like a lion," he told the BBC.
"It was worrying as we had just been for a walk with the dog. We saw the police helicopter but thought it was just searching for a person.
"It sounded like the roar of a lion. We have a field and wood just behind our fence, so you never know."
Police are trying to establish where the lion may have come from.
A force spokeswoman confirmed the animal had not escaped from Colchester Zoo, as all its animals had been accounted for.
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