Spanish authorities are erecting a lookout tower as they hunt for a 7ft-long alligator on the loose on the Mijas Costa, Costa del Sol, Spain.

The Mayor of Mijas - where hundreds of Britons holiday or own homes - said the round-the-clock surveillance post will be in place in time for the busy Easter period.

Police and animal experts have been on high alert since the presence of alligator tracks confirmed an earlier sighting of the reptile at lakes near Marbella.

Experts have calculated that the beast is around 12-18 years old and could weigh 70kg.

Police believe the alligator was released by an “unscrupulous” individual - probably a resident who kept it as an exotic pet.

Spanish warning signs saying “Grave Danger. Crocodile On The Loose” went up last week around the Majada Vieja de Mijas lakes, an area popular with walkers next to a golf course.

The Mayor of Mijas, Angel Nozal, headed a meeting where councillors and members of the police nature protection group, Seprona, discussed how to trap the alligator alive.

A video camera was suggested and draining the lakes was ruled out before the idea of a surveillance tower, to be in place until June, was agreed.

Seprona officers accompanied by Enrique Prieto, manager of the Cocodrilos Park in Torremolinos, found three footprints in dry mud at the edge of the lake earlier this month.

Mr Prieto told the Sur newspaper that the shape of the claws was “unmistakable” and the description of the animal’s head and snout given by a witness suggested it was an alligator rather than a crocodile.

Alligators have wider and shorter heads than crocodiles and tend to be darker in colour.

Mr Prieto said low temperatures in the area during winter made it highly unlikely that the alligator had been in the lakes area for long.

Dozens of residents and holidaymakers have been ignoring warnings to go for walks, although the animal - which is less active in colder temperatures - is unlikely to attack unless someone stands on it or tries to capture it.

The danger will grow in warmer weather, when the bird-eating reptile will have to go looking for food.

http://news.sky.com/story/1069409/costa-del-sol-hunt-for-alligator-on-the-loose