Woman claims she has spotted 'beast of Ryedale'

3:15pm Wednesday 24th October 2007

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A woman who believes she has spotted a big cat in Ryedale says the animal should be left in peace.

Last week a shocked farmer in East Heslerton near Malton discovered huge paw prints on his land.

Now Sue Elsey from Leppington, between Malton and Sheriff Hutton, said she saw a black cat the size of a small Labrador as she drove along a quiet lane near her home earlier this month.

She said: "People must think this so-called 'beast of Ryedale' is a monster but it's probably not.

The cat I saw was shy and in no way aggressive.

"I saw this animal from a distance and as I drove up it kept watching me until I was about 30 yards from it.

"It was the early evening but I could see that it was black and had a body of a cheetah.

"We were looking at each other for about 15 seconds and then it jumped through a gap in the hedge.

"It's just a wild animal and I believe they should be left well alone."

For more than 10 years, people have reported spotting big cats across Ryedale.

Police have drawn up a contingency plan to deal with an animal and firearms officers, along with a vet, would attempt to tranquilize it if it was cornered.

Sue added: "If there are a few puma-like cats living in the area they should be left in peace without being traumatised by police and vets with tranquillisers. I haven't seen any reports of them taking lambs or chickens, so what harm do they do?"