Police have hunted and killed a wild boar that charged through a neighbourhood in the city of Constanta on Romania's Black Sea coast.

People were sitting out in the streets when the boar appeared

Police officer

It was the third wild boar to cause panic in the region in as many days - and the second one to be shot.

In one recent incident, an animal crashed through the windows of a hotel.

Correspondents say the animals may have been chased from their natural habitat when an area of countryside was cleared for construction.

"People were sitting out in the streets on Tuesday evening when the boar appeared," police officer Marian Voicu said.

The boar became scared and charged, injuring a seven-year-old boy with its tusks, he added.

Police shot down the 80-kilogram (176-pound) male two hours later.

Wild boar are considered dangerous to humans when hurt or cornered.

'Nightmare'

On Monday another boar kept scientists trapped in their offices for an hour at the Maritime Research Institute in the city of Mamaia.

After spotting the animal in the grounds of the institute, the scientists locked the doors and refused to come out until a member of the hunting association shot the animal dead.

On the same day receptionists a wild boar weighing 100 kilograms (220 pounds) turned up in the lobby of the Hotel Ambasador in Mamaia.

The animal had sauntered in from the beach and was followed by two startled lifeguards, witnesses said.

"It was a living nightmare," hotel manageress Daniela Zagarliuc told the Associated Press news agency.

She said her son, who was playing in the reception at the time, fainted at the shock.

The boar was also scared by the commotion it had inadvertently caused and escaped through the window, leaving a trail of blood.

On Wednesday, tourists and waiters at a restaurant in Constanta spotted two more wild boars swimming in the Black Sea.