Residents of a sleepy Sussex village have a startling new addition to their community.

For the past year villagers in Telscombe have had to contend with a big black cat living in their countryside and preying on farm livestock.

Sightings of the fabled beast are becoming more and more common - although not everyone has been lucky enough to spot it.

Farmer Ross Armour, 41, said he had lost about 50 to 60 lambs this year without a trace.

He said: “We see black cats all the time. They come along the road. We don't know if there is one or two.

“They're quite big - dog-sized - and they're nicking all our sheep we think."

Watchers at Sussex Big Cat Watch believe there are at least six pumas and six smaller big cats roaming the Sussex countryside.