Croydon Council has appealed for help to find a new home for a large stag that has been on the loose in Croydon for five days.

The red deer has been locked in Park Hill recreation ground since Friday after being spotted by railway tracks near East Croydon last week.

The council said the park would remain closed "for the foreseeable future" and warned people to keep out.

It has contacted animal sanctuaries and deer farms as it looks to relocate the stag, first sighted on Wednesday.

FRIDAY: Warnings to public as large stag locked in Croydon park overnight

A spokeswoman said today: "The red deer stag is still contained in Park Hill recreation ground, and is calm and happy. 

"However, at this time of year, stags can become aggressive, so, for the safety of the public and the stag itself, the council kept the park closed over the weekend and ensured the animal had sufficient food and water.

“Enquiries are ongoing as to where the stag might have come from, but these animals do not occur naturally in this area.

She added: “We’re investigating the possibility of moving it to an animal sanctuary or other site where it could be safely released, and would ask that if anybody is able to offer the stag a home, or know of somewhere that might, they contact the council.

"Moving such a large animal will probably require it to be sedated, and the council is seeking professional advice as to whether that sort of step is necessary, and how it would be best carried out."

Network Rail are understood to have opened a gate to allow the deer into the park after it was spotted near the tracks.

Intrigued observers have been drawn to the park's gates to try to catch a glimpse of the animal.

Sarah Stone, 42, of Shirley, said she believed the stag had been living in South Croydon for months before it ventured north.

She said: "I saw it running across the big field by the white and yellow house  in Lloyd Park a few months back - either late spring or early summer.

"I only got a glimpse through a gap in the hedge but, from its carriage, size and antlers, I knew it wasn't a muntjac or roe deer."

"The likelihood of two red deer wild in the Croydon area is incredibly remote; I would be very surprised it this wasn't the same animal. 

"I'm delighted to see it has not just survived but, from its appearance, thrived in Croydon."

Wild deer are often sighted in the grassy southern fringes of Croydon, but they are usually roe or muntjac deer and it is rare for one to venture so close to the town centre."

Can you help Croydon's new stag resident find a home? Call the newsdesk on 0208 722 6351 or email chris.baynes@london.newsquest.co.uk