Is there now the Panther of Patcham?

Greg and Sophie Horne contacted The Argus to tell how they spotted a big cat as they looked out from their house across the playing fields at Patcham High School.

Mrs Horne said: “It looked like a small panther.

“It was black and had a long, slinky black tail.

“It was just walking along and I thought ‘Oh my God’.

“It was not a fox and not a cat because it was too big to be either of those. It was the size of a Labrador.

“It was quite far away but you could see it was really different from normal.

“I thought it must be some other kind of animal.”

Mrs Horne, who spotted the creature on Monday, June 11, said she had discovered that other people had seen a similar beast in other parts of Brighton and Hove.

A spokeswoman for Big Cats in Britain said she was not surprised there had been a sighting in that area, having had reports of big cats near the A23 and Hollingbury Golf Course.

Evidence of big cats

She added: “There have been sightings before and historically they have been black cats.

“We do not know where they have come from – they might have been pets which have escaped.”

Big cat hunters have previously said there was “irrefutable evidence” big cats were roaming the forests and farmlands of Sussex.

Neil Arnold received 102 reports of big cats seen in Sussex since 2001 and claimed exotic pets were let wild in the 1960s and 1970s.

He has records of dismembered sheep which he believes could only have been killed by a beast such as a puma or panther.

Mr Arnold said: “They are rarely photographed because they are extremely shy and intelligent.

“Big cat faeces is quite easy to find on country pathways and near kills.

“It is usually between four and ten inches long and full of fur and bone.”

Have you spotted the Panther of Patcham? Tell us by calling 01273 544519 or emailing news@theargus.co.uk