A lion prowled the streets of an Italian seaside town for several hours Saturday after escaping from a local circus, before being sedated and captured.

Alessandro Grando, mayor of Ladispoli, near Rome, had warned residents to stay at home while police and circus staff sought to catch the animal.

Videos later published by Italian media, apparently taken by locals but not confirmed by AFP, showed the adult lion walking through dark and deserted streets.

In a Facebook post around 10.30pm (21.30pm Irish time), more than five hours after his original message raising the alarm, Grando said the lion had been "sedated and captured".

"Now he will be taken in hand by the circus staff," he wrote, thanking emergency services and volunteers who helped during "these hours of great concern".

"I hope that this episode can stir some consciences, and that we can finally put an end to the exploitation of animals in circuses," the mayor added.

Anticipating residents' complaints, he earlier said he had not authorised the presence of a circus with lions in the town, but said he did not have the power to block it.