People travelling along a busy road in Essex on Tuesday morning were startled to see a llama tied to the back of a camper van.

The animal was spotted beside the A120 at Stebbing, near Braintree.

A police spokesperson said: "Some reported seeing it in the back of a car, others that it had been tied to a tow bar and that it was causing a traffic jam."

Officers discovered the seven-year-old beast, Pacha, was safe and on a sponsored charity walk from Norwich to Plymouth.

'Beats horses'

Pacha's owner, Maria Rosita Apaza Marchaqa, said: "He's very easy to walk; he doesn't mind lorries, he doesn't mind traffic."

"It's better than walking a horse."

On Monday night officers had been called to reports of a llama lying in front of a vehicle after being hit.

They failed to find any sign of the animal, police said.

The sponsored walk was raising funds for the Munay Tika (beautiful flower) School in paucartambo, Peru.