Train delays caused by 'lion' spotted in Yorkshire

PA

It's the kind of thing you might expect in Africa, but a lion on the line in a sleepy West Yorkshire village? Not so much.

But train services in Shepley came to a halt yesterday after a local woman driver called police following sightings of a big cat in the area.

The station received reports from members of the public about a 'lion and/or a cub' roaming the fields, and the police launched a 12-man investigation and a helicopter in a search that lasted two hours, believing the calls to be 'genuine'.

Network Rail Enquiries wrote on its Twitter feed: 'Passengers are currently unable to alight from trains at Shepley due to reports by police of a lion in the area.'

According to the Mirror, just 12 minutes later another tweet read: 'West Yorks Police report the area is now clear and trains can call normally at Shepley.'

A spokesman for Network Rail said one train service was delayed for 17 minutes while police carried out the search.

She told the Daily Mail: 'There were slight delays to services because of the alleged sightings of a lioness and her cub.'

But, surprisingly, no lion was found. Inspector Carlton Young said: 'At the moment we've had nothing confirmed and we've not located anyone who is claiming to have lost an animal.'

Fancy spotting a lion in real life? Try one of these amazing safaris:

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