A black big cat-like creature dubbed the "Panther of Preston Park" has been spotted in Brighton.

The creature was seen in a woman’s garden, just weeks after similar sightings in Sussex.

Margaret Vidler, of Loder Road, Brighton, was terrified after coming face to face with the giant cat in her back garden on Sunday.

The sighting has been reported to police.

Big cat expert Neil Arnold said “numerous big cats” are living in the area, including one seen just a few weeks ago at Hollingbury golf course in Brighton.

He advised dog owners to be careful about letting their dogs out after dark after receiving reports of pets going missing.

Mrs Vidler had taken her Yorkshire Terrier, Mutley, into the garden just after 10pm on Sunday when she became aware he was acting strangely.

She said: “As we went outside my dog started to pull towards the garden. We get a lot of foxes though, so I thought he was going towards that.

“The strange thing was he was very quiet, which is most unlike him as usually he would bark at a fox.

“Then I turned my head to the side and about two metres away from me I saw this black animal.

“At first through I thought it was a pit bull, but then I saw its big long tail.

“It was about the size of an Alsatian dog and had a square face.

“It just stood very still and we were looking at each other. I don’t know if it was as surprised as I was.

“We just stood looking at each other and then I rushed back indoors.

“Once I got inside I couldn’t move. I’m still not quite over it. I don’t think I have ever been so scared in all my life.

“Even now going past that little spot now I can’t believe what I saw.”

The next day Mutley would not go into the garden and Mrs Vidler noticed one of her grow bags had been torn open.

She said: “A lot of other strange things have been happening too. Normally we have lots of foxes in our garden, but we haven’t seen or heard any for about a week.”

Mr Arnold, who runs Kent Big Cat Research and has been studying big cats for more than 20 years, said the creature was a black leopard, often known as a panther.

He said: “There is a possibility it could be the same animal that was seen on a golf course in Brighton a few weeks ago, as they can cover territories of 60 to 70 square miles.

“There are numerous big cats around and they are pretty comfortable coming into towns, especially at night. They can lay up in fields during the day and at night they follow the smells of domestic cats and foxes.

“I have had quite a few reports of sightings in back gardens.

“I have also had numerous reports of small dogs going missing and domestic cats being found hurt.

“My advice to people is don’t let them out in the evening as that is the ideal time for a cat to hunt.”

Mr Arnold said Mutley’s behaviour would be quite normal.

He said: “Dogs generally cower when they see a big cat. It doesn’t have to be aggressive, just its presence will terrify even the biggest dogs like Rottweilers and Alsations.”

He added that leopards are unlikely to be dangerous to humans unless they are cornered, provoked or injured.

He said: “Big cats have been here for generations and generations and are very used to humans.”

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: "There have been numerous reports of big cat sightings in the local media over many years, but to my knowledge, none have ever been substantiated."

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