Londoners faced more rush hour chaos last night when a wild animal, believed to be a species of south american bear, was found at Paddington Station’s left luggage office. The station was closed for more than two hours – between 4.30 and 6.30pm – whilst the British Transport Police and RSPCA inspectors dealt with the situation.
Jonathan Brown, 13, a pupil at Eton College, told the Standard:
‘It was, like, really weird? The bear was, like, sitting on a suitcase eating sandwiches it must have, like, stolen from somewhere’
A spokesman for the RSPCA said:
‘It is hard to imagine the sheer irresponsibility of someone deliberately leaving a potentially dangerous wild animal at a busy railway station. Bears may look cute and cuddly but they are powerful and unpredictable animals and this could have been a life-threatening situation’.
British Transport Police are appealing for the owners of the bear to come forwards.
A spokesman for Network Rail said:
‘We would urge any of our customers travelling with animals to ensure that they are secure and under control at all times.’
The station was reopened after the bear was put down by a police marksman who had been called to the scene.
Adrian Weale 