Police in Essex have called off the search for what was suspected lion and have advised people to return “to normal life”.

A zoologist consulted by Essex police says she thinks the animal was more likely to be a dog than a runaway lion.

Police had scrambled helicopters with heat-seeking equipment as well as highly-skilled marksmen in a bid to find the animal.

They say they found no droppings or paw prints to indicate that a big cat was on the loose.

Many people thought it was a hoax at first when police in England began the search near Clacton in  Essex.

Both Colchester Zoo and the local circus said all their animals were accounted for.

There were then several suspected sightings of the apparent lion.