Escaped tiger alert turns out to be soft toy

The "tiger" turned out to be a cuddly toy which officers nicknamed Tony

An escaped tiger spotted in a garden turned out to be a soft toy after terrified neighbours raised the alarm.

Police were called to the home in Oldham after members of the public said a giant cat was "pawing in the grass".

Greater Manchester Police found the animal was in fact not real and later nicknamed the toy Tony.

Officers joked in a Facebook post: "Tony was asked for a comment about Oldham police and said 'They're grrrrrrrreat!'"

They added: "Tony is now safely booked into property at Oldham Police station."