A Braintree man is stepping up his investigations into big wild cats on the loose in Essex after four sightings of animals in the past two months.

John Hancock, of Comma Close, set up the Essex Big Cat Research Group last October and is using his specialist knowledge from 20 years of working on natural history films.

Commenting on his latest findings, John said a big black cat was spotted in Rushmere St Andrew, near Ipswich, on February 8.

Three days later he was contacted regarding a sighting in Great Yeldham and on February 23 another big black animal was seen in a farmyard near Mount Bures.

Most recently, a friend phoned John on March 23 after seeing a similar creature crossing the A1017 at Sible Hedingham.

"These were all very good sightings and each individual has given a very clear description of the animal," said John.

"What is a little concerning is how tame the cat appeared to be. On the occasion in Great Yeldham it sat in the middle of a country lane in front of a car and in Mount Bures the witness revved the engine of her car and it still did not move."

Braintree police have sent John's details to stations across the county and they have been passed on so people who report sightings can share their knowledge with him.

John is not ruling out the possibility that the four reports could all refer to the same black panther. "These animals are very territorial and in their natural habit can roam an area of 60 square miles.

''They are quite capable of travelling 40 miles overnight," he said. "There is quite a high population of Muntjac deer in this area and they could be sustaining themselves on these and hares and rabbits."

John's credits include the award-winning Anglia TV series Survival. He has invested in special recording and video equipment in his quest to find evidence of the ''Beast of Essex''.

If you have any big cat sightings, call John on 01376 342384

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