RESIDENTS could not believe their eyes when they saw what looked like a wallaby hopping around the village of Evenwood, near Bishop Auckland.

There were multiple sightings of the antipodean creature in in the village on Saturday, captured on mobiles by two quick-thinking spotters.

Accountant Nigel Hewitt, of Evenwood, said : "I saw the animal near the Lyons Court car home just after 3pm on Saturday.

"I was out for a walk with my wife when I saw it cross the road and I said to my 'I'm sure that's a wallaby that just crossed the road. she thought I was having her on.

"But then I saw it hopping down the road towards us. It then turned around went on to the path and toward the care home where I got footage of it."

He added: "Cars were stopping and people were looking out of their windows saying "did I just see what I saw".

Rachel Birch, was out for a dog walk with her children when she spotted the animal at about 2.30pm on Saturday.

She said: "We were near the cricket club in the village when we saw the wallaby jumping around. Thought that was unusual.

"It hopped away. I didn't want to hang around and scare it. I think other people have organised for someone to come and catch it and take it somewhere safe.

"There have been some comments on social media saying it may have escaped from a nearby farm."