Original headline: SPATE OF SIGHTINGS OF MYSTERY BEAST AROUND BATH
Sightings of a mystery big cat have left villagers on the edge of Bath baffled. A large black animal has been spotted by a number of people in Batheaston, sparking concern that a panther or black leopard could be living wild in the area.
One of the latest villagers to come face-to-face with the big cat was Karen Hanley, who encountered the animal on an evening stroll.
Mrs Hanley, 50, and husband Peter watched in amazement as the black cat walked slowly around the drive leading to the village's Archery Club ground and stared straight at them.
"I couldn't quite believe my eyes, " said Karen, who works in Bath's Safeway store.
"I didn't want to think it was a big cat but when we looked again there was no mistaking it.
"It was looking straight at me but as soon as it got sight of us, it turned and walked away.
"At first I thought it was just a moggy but when you looked at the cat in proportion to a barn it was next to, it was huge.
"It was black, had long legs, a long body and its tail was long and pointing straight out. I have seen enough wildlife programmes to know a big cat when I see one."
In the past few weeks there have also been sightings of a big cat in and around Shockerwick, between Batheaston and Box.
Shepherd Richard Alvis, who works in the hamlet, is convinced big cats are in the area.
A few years ago he had a large lamb killed - and he is certain the attack was not by foxes. "The cats are around this area, there is no doubt about it, " said Mr Alvis.
"The area is perfect for them - rabbits, phesants, deers - all perfect food sources for them.
"And I know many people who have spotted them.
"When that lamb was killed a few years ago it had its throat ripped and legs mauled. Foxes and dogs just do not kill in that way."
Susan Fremantle, who lives in Northend, said she had seen an oversized cat roaming in her flowerbeds late one evening.
"It was about 9.30pm and the light was going a bit but I saw something crouching down in the flowerbeds that looked like a large cat. It had a black coat and a long pointed tail.
"After a while it got to its feet and disappeared through the hedge but I gave our farmer neighbour a ring because I thought it might be one of his dogs but he said it wasn't.
"You get a lot of badgers and foxes round here but it didn't move like one of them and the shape was wrong."
A national big cat monitoring group says such animals are breeding in record numbers around Britain.
Last year the British Big Cat Society received more than 800 reports of sightings - 52 of which were in Somerset. Founder Danny Bamping said: "We do have evidence that proves big cats are in abundance in the UK.
"Bath is in a rural area which would provide the three main things a cat would want: cover, water and food."
And according to Mr Bamping, Mrs Hanley did the right thing when she spotted the cat - nothing. "They are much more scared of us than we should ever be of them.
"As soon as they make eye contact, the cats will usually disappear pretty fast."
The society says many of the animals spotted are likely to be descendants of pets released into the wild when new legislation was brought in in the 1970s, and may even be breeding with domestic cats.
The 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act forced people to apply for licences to keep creatures such as big cats.
In 1988 there was a spate of sightings of big, black cats in the Batheaston area while in the late '70s and '80s Brassknocker Hill hit the national headlines when countless residents thought a beast was roaming the countryside.
Anyone spotting a big cat is asked to contact the society via its website, www.britishbigcats.com.
