Big cat spotted near Balcombe school

1:00pm Monday 13th October 2008

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Education bosses have secured the perimeter of a school after pupils spotted a big cat prowling nearby.

Youngsters in the reception class of Balcombe CE Primary School in London Road, Balcombe, and classroom assistant Rosemary Robertson spotted the large cat from the school playground.

Mrs Roberston said: “It was like a ginger tom but three times the size and it made this terrible growling noise.

“The reason I know it was not a domestic cat was because of that awful sound.”

After the sighting on Tuesday the school’s headteacher Terry Harris wrote to parents.

In his letter he said: “Since the sighting we have informed the police, who are currently investigating the location of the sighting, secured the perimeter of the school and informed Balcombe estate.”

The school playground is enclosed by a perimeter fence.

There is a gate leading out to the school playing fields which are surrounded by hedgerows.

Staff are now ensuring that the gate remains closed.

Mr Harris said: “The playground is a fair distance from the field where it was seen but Mrs Roberston was attracted to it because of the sound.

“She heard a growling sound and went over to the fence to have a closer look and saw the cat. It is a difficult one as a headteacher, as I didn’t want to worry parents unnecessarily but felt I should inform them as, although it seems strange, Rosemary saw it and I believe exactly what she said.”

Mrs Robertson and the children saw the animal for about 30 seconds before it ran off.

Mr Harris said: “In a small village news like this goes around like wildfire and I have had people stopping me and talking to me about it.

“I have been at the school for a long time and nothing like this has happened before.”

There are about 250 sightings a year of big cats in Sussex.