Ananova:

Police in North Yorkshire have warned farmers and villagers to be on guard amid reports a tiger is on the loose.

One woman, in her 30s, said she saw a tiger leap over a fence and cross the road in front of her as she drove to work in the Selby area.

And a second report came from a farmer who spotted the animal on his land near Tadcaster, reports the Northern Echo.

Police dispatched search teams to the area. A spotter plane from RAF Linton-on-Ouse was also called in but no trace of the big cat has been found.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "A woman telephoned to say she had seen a tiger cross the road in front of her van.

"She was shaken, she said it was a big animal and that it had stripes.

"We searched the area but found no physical sign of the animal. There was no paw prints or spoor."

He said there had been no report of a missing tiger made to the police.

"We do not dispute what the woman said. If we gain any more reports we will step up the search a degree," he added.