The Beast of Bossingham is at large in the village – but locals have nothing to fear.

Because, although he weighs in at 12st and stands 6ft tall on his hind legs, Samson the “castle lion” is just a big softie.

The huge dog is a rare German leonberger breed – a mix of Great Pyrenees, Newfoundland, and long-haired Saint Bernard – and is owned by the Selman family.

They say his imposing size makes him the focus of attention wherever he goes.

Graphic artist Drew Selman, 49, who runs Lemon Creative from his home in the village with his wife, Debbie, said: “We didn’t want a little dog and had started doing a lot of research when we came across the breed.

Watch: Your questions answered about Samson

"After some deliberation, we chose a male and named him Samson, perhaps for obvious reasons. That was six years ago and he really has lived up to expectations"- Drew Selman

“Although they grow pretty big, they have a reputation for being docile and friendly, which was important as our girls Iona and Corran were only 10 and eight at the time.

“We eventually found a breeder with nine pups in Medway and spent quite a few hours observing them with their mother.

“We also noticed how loving and gentle the mother was to the young child of the owner, which gave us a lot of confidence.

“After some deliberation, we chose a male and named him Samson, perhaps for obvious reasons. That was six years ago and he really has lived up to expectations and is a very important member of the family.”

Drew believes leonbergers – the German translation for castle lions – were bred to look like the lion statues often seen outside castles.

He added: “He is nicknamed the Beast of Bossingham and everywhere we take him people want to stop and talk and stroke him – but he loves the attention.

“He has two layers of fur which means he is pretty high-maintenance after a walk, particularly in winter. But he has a waterproofing to his undercoat and I believe they have been trained for water rescue.”

Drew says Samson ate like a horse when he was growing but his intake has reduced now he has reached maturity.

He said: “He had some digestive problems so the vet advised us to put him on a vegetarian diet and he seems very content with his big bowl of dog biscuits every day.

“Leonbergers live around eight to 10 years but we are hoping that with good food and lots of exercise, Samson will be with us for a few years more.”

Samson is big, but do you have an even larger dog? Email news@thekmgroupco.uk