An ex-circus lion rescued from a life of abuse has sadly died following 10 happy years at a Kent zoo.

Keepers took the heartbreaking decision to put Brutus - a visitor favourite at Wingham Wildlife Park - to sleep following a period of bad health.

The 14-year-old, who had always lived side-by-side with his brother Clarence, was suffering from advanced stages of lung cancer.

Brutus and Clarence were thought to have been mistreated from birth - becoming circus animals in France and enduring a life of obedience.

But the majesty was put back into their lives when they were brought to Wingham, between Canterbury and Wingham, by Markus Wilder and his team in 2012.

A statement by the zoo this afternoon reads: "Rest in peace our beautiful friend - we are honoured to have helped him get over his early years in a circus and have him spend many a happy year here at the park.

"Brutus had been unwell for the past few weeks and while he improved greatly with treatment, this improvement was short-lived and we had to make the very sad decision to put him to sleep.

"He has been suffering with his chest and whilst we tried everything we could, we had to make the decision that there was only so much it would be fair to try.

"We carried out an autopsy right away to reveal that he was suffering from advanced lung cancer."

Brutus and Clarence were the park's first rescued big cats, and quickly became favourites among visitors.

Sadly now, the duo have been separated.

The statement continues: "This was a very tough decision and we know that many of you will be wondering about his brother.

"We will be monitoring Clarence to allow him to help us make the best decision for him moving forward.

"He will certainly remain with us, however, due to his history and the fact that he has spent his whole life with his brother it is going to take some careful consideration as to whether he will lead a happier life in the comfort of his loving keepers (at his age probably the most likely case) or with a new companion."