The Gloucestershire big cat spotted in Uley

Since the National Trust announced earlier this month that it had called in experts to run tests on a carcass of a roe deer found in the grounds of Woodchester Park, speculation has been rife in the county.

According to the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, which took samples from the animal’s wounds, it is now running tests on a second deer carcass found in the district but would not disclose where.

The results are not expected to be made public until the end of the month.

However, in the mean time Gazette readers have been contacting the newspaper with their stories of big cat experiences.

Catherine and Nicholas Toms, from Uley, believe they had a close encounter with the Gloucestershire big cat in February last year whilst walking their seven-year-old Springer, Flint, near to the Uley Bury.

Mrs Toms said: "My husband and I both saw it walking our Springer up there. It was about 25 yards a head of us just crossing the pathway.

"It was sideways on and it stopped, looked at us and just went into the under growth. It was as big as our Springer."

She added: "I was bit worried walking up there afterwards but didn’t see it again and haven’t seen it since."

However, Dursley town councillor Matt Nicholson, believes whatever is stalking the Gloucestershire countryside may not be a cat.

Mr Nicholson was walking his three-year-old Lab-Collie cross, Lucy, at Woodchester in December when he witnessed a deer being chased.

He told the Gazette: "Just before Christmas I was down there walking my dog and she started getting quite agitated.

"Then a deer came over a fence being pursued by something big and black but it wasn’t a cat it was a big dog of a grey hound variety. It wasn’t a cat it was too big and too thin."

Mr Nicholson does believe though that he has seen big cats in the area along the road between Wortley and Ozleworth and on the side of the road on Whiteways.