After the Beast of Bodmin caused consternation in Cornwall, the Hurstpierpoint puma created a stir in Sussex.

Now Bryan Hale, who witnessed the creature a while back, is writing a book about big cats in Sussex and has had 300 reported sightings.

Sussex is now well up the national league table of big cat sightings published each year by the Fortean Times.

Is that because there really are strange beasts skulking around the countryside or because residents are a little too lynx-eyed?