Big cat sighting in Sussex

The woman was walking the Cuckoo Trail, on the Common Road towards Ersham Road, in Hailsham, at 8.30am on March 10, when she bumped into her friend with her dog which bolted off into the woods.

Further down the track, the woman saw a large black animal sleek through the undergrowth on the bank and disappear into the foliage towards some bungalows.

The woman reported the sighting to Kent Big Cat Research and said the animal was far bigger than a domestic cat.

It is the second sighting to be reported in less than a week. The first was in Jevington where passengers travelling on the A27 saw a large animal at the edge of a field on March 16 at midday.

The driver stopped her vehicle and the cat remained in view for a few seconds before leaping up a hill and disappearing through a hedge.

Author Neil Arnold, who runs the Kent Big Cat Research website said sightings of black leopards, pumas and lynx date back over a century and he had received reports of big cats in Hailsham, Polegate, Hastings, Arlington and Beachy Head.

If you see the cat call 01634 830384 or visit www.kentbigcats.blogspot.com.