A LARGE black animal "as tall as a table" was spotted at the Eastcombe crossroads on Thursday night prompting fears again that a wild cat may be on the loose.

Stroud resident Jenny Bailey said she saw the animal at 8.05pm while driving through the area.

"At first I thought it might be a large dog but then I realised it was far too big to be a dog and there wasn't anyone around with it," she said.

"It also didn't move like a dog, it loped rather than walked. Unfortunately I didn't see its face but it did make me feel quite frightened."

There have been many sightings of large black cat-like animals in the Five Valleys over the years although nothing has ever been captured on camera.

*Do you believe there may be wild cats living in the Five Valleys let us know if you saw a strange animal in the Eastcombe area on Thursday?