More tales in the big cat mystery..

8:18pm Monday 19th November 2007

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AN ILMINSTER man has said that he believes there is a 'serious meat-eating' animal roaming the countryside in the area.

Simon Lancaster, of Fairfield, has provided the News with new possible evidence to suggest that there is a large black panther-type creature living wild and on the loose.

He contacted the News after reading in last week's edition about the believed sightings of a large cat-like animal by Chard woman Helen Bishop and Seavington St Michael pub landlady Ruth Turner.

They told the News about their experiences after reading in the News on October 31 about Dave Pitman coming across a severely-mauled deer in woods close to his home in Hinton St George.

Now Simon has come forward and said that he had been walking his dogs on Herne Hill in Ilminster around 7am on October 31 when he too came across a freshly-killed deer.

"The deer had been mauled and eaten right to the bone," he said. "All that remained was its head, front legs and skeletal remains.

"I was amazed and astonished at the severity of the kill. The animal which had killed this deer must have been some serious meat-eater and no ordinary wild animal."

Simon went on that when he returned home he told his wife about the shock finding and then later that night he had read about Dave Pitman finding a deer in a similar condition.

"The way Dave had explained the deer he had found was exactly how I found this deer," he said.

"After reading the article by Helen Bishop who actually sighted a large black cat near Crewkerne I thought I ought to add my experience to the ever increasing list of big cat evidence."

* What do you think? Have you seen a panther-like creature in your area? Have you any photos? Leave a comment using the forms below or e-mail us at newsdesk@chardandilminsternews.co.uk or write to us at Chard and Ilminster News, 3a Fore Street, Chard, Somerset.