Rare black fox sighting in Somerset brings traffic to a standstill

The rare fox was walking along a country lane near Brean in Somerset

A man who saw a rare black fox on a country lane said he initially had "no idea" what he was looking at.

Karm Singh was heading home after a walk on the beach at Brean in Somerset when he saw the animal on the side of the road.

Mr Singh said traffic came to a halt as people stopped to see the rare sight.

The animals are a type of North American red fox with a trait that makes their fur silvery-black.

"The car in front of me stopped and then I saw what I thought was a stray dog at first but as it got closer I realised it was a fox," said Mr Singh.

"I had to Google it as I had no idea a fox that colour even existed.

"The traffic was building up behind me. It was crazy."

They are often referred to as 'silver foxes'

With their car stopped, he and his partner managed to take several photographs.

Mr Singh reported the sighting to campaign group Black Foxes UK, which says the animals are sometimes escaped pets that need to be returned home.

According to the group, about 0.1% of foxes in the UK are melanistic (black) and are often referred to as 'silver foxes'.

Black foxes are a rare variety of North American red fox