A LANDOWNER claims he has seen the puma-like creature that is thought to have savaged four sheep in East Dorset during the latest spate of big cat sightings in the county.

Nick Morton, who has 10 acres of land near the White Sheet Plantation, responded to the recent reports of sightings in the area.

The sheep were attacked on a smallholding at White Sheet Hill and police say several people in the area have seen a large black cat nearby over the last few weeks.

Mr Morton, who has night vision goggles, watched his two labrador dogs chase a large cat across a field one night.

"It looks like a black panther. I was standing at the gate about 100 yards away and the dogs were chasing it up the hill," he said.

"I was worried that they were going to catch it because it would have ripped them apart. I could tell by the way it was running that it was a cat.

"It was much more agile than a dog. It cleared a four feet fence by two feet."

Afterwards Mr Morton found a circular piece of flattened grass about two or three feet in diameter where he thinks the animal had been lying down in the sun.

"I've also seen the cat when I was coming down White Sheet Hill.

"It came out of trees and walked across the road in front of the car.

"I've lived on the land all my life and I'm used to seeing all sorts of things. I know what I saw."

Mr Morton has told the British Big Cats Society of the incidents.

Other recent black cat sightings reported in the Daily Echo include two in Holt Wood near Wimborne in June; one north of Wimborne in July; and one in Westbourne on August 24.

First published: August 31