Escaped raccoon dogs are causing chaos in a quiet village by terrorising locals and attacking animals, as police urge anyone who sees them to call 999.

The residents of Clarborough, in Nottinghamshire, have been under siege from “potentially dangerous” raccoon dogs which escaped from a private enclosure on Big Lane, a residential street, on Tuesday evening.

The dog-sized animals, which are indigenous to East Asia and known to eat reptiles and small mammals, have acted menacingly towards pet dogs, ponies and goats.

Police have warned villagers who spot the fox-related creatures to alert them as they are “not domesticated” and are not safe to keep as pets, according to the RSPCA.

An unsuspecting couple who prevented their pet goat and pony from being attacked during a two hour stand off with one of the raccoon dogs reported the incident immediately afterwards.