Claire Pitt shows Mr Lacey an example of what he may have seen

A bridgekeeper says he has seen an alligator living in the waters of the Gloucester and Sharpness canal.

Rumours of a large creature living in the waters of the canal had been circulating for about 18 months but Richard Lacey, a bridgekeeper at Hardwicke, Gloucestershire has confirmed what locals feared.

Mr Lacey was amazed to see a scaly creature leaping out the water to try to catch a duck just outside the Pilot pub.

He said: "I saw a very unusual disturbance on the edge of the waters just south of the bridge.

"On the edge of this disturbance was a duck in very obvious distress.

"As it flew away this creature came up out of the water in pursuit.

If it's a cayman, it wouldn't have lasted 18 months Claire Pitt

"There's been rumours of something unusual in this canal for the last 18 months but this is the first time I've seen something and I think it may have been an alligator.

"My immediate reaction was, 'Oh my God, what else is in here?'"

The alligator - believed to be a cayman - can grow to three-feet in length but is more used to the tropical heat of South America.

However, a recent spell of warmer weather could have helped it survive on a diet of fish and possibly birds.

Extreme rights

Claire Pitt a local licensed crocodile keeper said it was possible an alligator had been deliberately let loose in the waters.

"If it is an alligator then it's possible," she said.

"But if it's a cayman, it wouldn't have lasted 18 months.

"I think it may have been put there by an animal extreme rights campaign of some description.

"There is a lot of hype at the moment about the banning of the keeping all reptiles in the UK and I think it may have been planted by them."