'Wolf' seen in park thought to be husky

DOG wardens believe a "wolf" seen in a Lothians country park may actually have been a husky gone astray from its owner.

Police received reports of the sighting on Tuesday from a man, walking in Polkemmet Country Park, near Whitburn.

Keith McDowell, 38, said the animal's size led him to believe it was a wolf, not a dog.

He described it as silver, with a black streak on its back and a bushy tail, prompting a police investigation and a call for farmers to be alert.

Pauline Sinclair, a dog warden with West Lothian Council, said: "I think it's more likely this animal was a husky. People often use this area to let them run. Huskies are often described as looking like wolves."

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn confirmed it was unlikely the "wolf" had escaped to the park.

He said: "There are no licensed collectors of wolves in the central belt, so it is extremely unlikely that one has escaped and found its way to this area."