The Eden Project’s fearsome T. rex made a dramatic escape on Friday night and caused mayhem at Fowey Royal Regatta.

Crowds on the Town Quay had a big surprise when the prehistoric giant stomped down the narrow streets and went roaring around the waterfront.

The beast slurped a pint of bitter, posed for selfies, was calmed down by the regatta Fairy Queen and then apprehended by a friendly policeman before being whisked back to Eden.

Chief wrangler Steve Peck said: ’It’s the summer of the big beasts. We’ve heard reports of a puma on the loose, a great white shark off the north coast and now someone leaves the cage open and our scariest dino goes on the rampage. We got it back safely but who knows when it will go on the run again?’

The T rex is one of the stars of the show at Eden’s Dinosaur Uprising: Land, Sea and Air season this summer and is regularly spotted in the outdoors gardens, lurking around corners and behind trees. The attraction runs until September 4.