No proof has been found of a man dressed as a cat terrorising people on a West Cumbrian cycle path, Cumbria police said.
Officers said they have received one report relating to the incident, which sparked panic after unverified images and a video appeared online over the weekend.
The origin of the content remains unknown.
A police spokesman said: “At this time, we have no information to substantiate it.
“Officers are aware of the post circulating on social media and understand that this may cause concern within the local community.
“If approached by someone acting in an aggressive or unpredictable manner, we would advise people to keep a safe distance and not engage.”
The content – which has not been verified by Cumbria Crack – shows a person crouched, dressed in black with ears and a tail on a section of cycle path between Cleator Moor and Egremont.
It is not yet known if this image and video have been generated by artificial intelligence or if the incident was a hoax.
Both the photo and video, where the ‘cat’ can be heard yowling, have been shared thousands of times across social media.
People have reported that their children have been ‘terrorised’ by the person dressed up.
Dozens of people have described the pictures and video as disturbing and upsetting.
Many people have also claimed that they have reported the incident to the police.
Initially, Cumbria police said it was not aware of the incident. Some people have also claimed to have seen the man in Egremont’s skate park.
Cumbria police said anyone who witnesses similar behaviour, or has information, is asked to report it to police via 101.
Anyone who feels at immediate risk is asked to call 999.
