A PILLOWELL woman was 'astonished' when she looked from her bedroom window late one night and saw a huge black panther-like beast sitting in the road near her gate.
Mrs Phyllis Saunders, who lives in Link Road, says the incident happened about five weeks ago but she had been encouraged by the appeal in last week's Review to call in with any sightings.
"I'm what I call a night walker – I sleep lightly and get up often and walk around the house. I often pull the curtain back to see what it's like outside and I saw this black beast, the size of a large dog.
"It was sitting up just like a cat and it had a cat's tail – at first I thought it was the gate post – sticking up in the air. It just sat there proudly.
"Unfortunately I had to go to the toilet at that point but I was quickly back to have another look – but by then it had vanished.
"I told my friends and my daughter about it, but you don't like telling too many people because of what they might think about you. They said I should call you. Then I saw your story about last week's sighting and I phoned on the spur of the moment.
"That's definitely what it was – there's no doubt about it. I can't get it out of my mind. I only wish somebody with a camera had been there, or I'd had time to go downstairs to get my camera."
Mrs Saunders, who is 75 next month, says there had been a report of somebody seeing the beast on a nearby road at around about the same time and she felt sure it had to be the same animal.
•If you have seen the Forest's big cat give your Review a call on 841113.