A BIG black cat has been sighted stalking the Northleach area.

At 1pm last Thursday, driver Jez Dance spotted a big black cat in a corn field on the A429 near Northleach.

Mr Dance said he first thought it was a big dog but when his car drew closer it became clear it was a big cat.

He said: "The way it was prowling was a big clue that it was a big cat.

"It was definitely too big and long for a dog."

He added that the big cat had a long tail and no markings and was "absolutely feline".

In 2005, the Standard published a CCTV picture of a large black feline taken near Cirencester Hospital. Other sightings have also placed it close to Siddington.

Frank Tunbridge, a big cat tracker from Stroud, said sightings in the Northleach area were common.

"Big cats are more frequently seen in winter than because they have less cover and are breeding," said Mr Tunbridge.

"But Northleach is a good town for sightings because there is a lot of deer on the Fosseway, and the favourite prey for big cats is deer."

He added that during the summer he has on average one sighting every three weeks in the Cotswolds.

Mr Tunbridge is now turning to the latest technology to bag an elusive snap of the rare creatures by setting up cameras in Gloucestershire.

The Big Cats in Britain group recently announced it has 28 trigger cameras set up across the UK, including Gloucestershire.

But expert Mr Tunbridge already has five of the cameras at his disposal, and is already on the lookout for a big cat in Gloucestershire.

He said: "I put them up in the areas where there's been a sighting but I can’t say where exactly the cameras are positioned."

Mr Tunbridge assured anyone who spots a big cat that the creatures are not a threat to the public.