HOW many big cats are there roaming around Dorset? Four sheep belonging to East Dorset smallholders were mauled by a large animal at the weekend and the owners wonder if a puma-type animal is responsible.

Carol Fenemore rang the Daily Echo after reading of sightings at the weekend in Bournemouth and Hurn.

"We had four of our sheep mauled very early on Sunday morning," said Mrs Fenemore who keeps horses and 44 sheep at White Sheet Hill at Uddens near Wimborne.

"One of our rams and three ewe lambs were attacked - we have saved them but they are in a terrible state.

"Nobody has seen anything and we were assuming it was dogs - a fox wouldn't tackle a ram. But nobody has seen any dogs.

"I would like to know what it is. If anybody could shed any light on it and solve the mystery, that would be fantastic."

Pc John Snellin said there had been three or four sightings of a black cat in the White Sheet Plantation area in the last month or so.

"It is possibly a puma - the sightings were from good level-headed people," he said. "It scared a lot of horses who went bolting round the field and there was a deer carcass."

Pc Snellin said members of the public should keep well away from any such animal.

"If it is approached it's going to be gone so quickly, it's so elusive. But if it's trapped or injured it could be seriously dangerous and you should ring 999," he said.

The officer said it was possible there were two or more big cats on the loose in Dorset.

"There are regular sightings down Bridport and Weymouth way," he said. "There have been sightings in the north of the county, too, near Sherborne and a couple of coppers swore blind they saw one in the grounds of Bryanston School about five years ago."

First published: August 26