A POTENTIALLY dangerous dog on the loose in a Hampshire community has today been found and put down.

The American Bulldog escaped from a property in the Bishops Waltham area after breaking free yesterday.

Police launched a widespread hunt with specialist dog teams from the force and Hampshire Fire and Rescue.

Today officers announced the animal was spotted but they were unable to safely catch it and had to put it down to prevent it hurting anyone.

They has warned the large breed, weighing around 70kg and white in colour, had posed a danger to the public and ordered people to steer clear of it.

A statement released today by the force said: “The white American Bulldog has been found.

"The dog could not be caught safely and had to be destroyed in the interests of public safety.”

They did not say why the dog was deemed to be dangerous or how it was killed.