Is a panther on the prowl in Leicestershire?

The owner of an industrial estate is installing cameras after becoming convinced that big cats are visiting it.

Lewis Gutteridge said he had found paw prints, claw marks and droppings which he believes are from a big cat.

The intruder has been visiting the compound in Upper Bruntingthorpe, near Lutterworth, over the past two weeks

Big-cat sightings have been reported in the area.

Mr Gutteridge said: "I discovered the marks when I was about to level the site.

"I noticed a very strong smell and then saw the prints. We don't know what it could be, but it could be a panther or leopard.

"It has left very large paw prints and droppings. The claws look more than an inch long.

"We are looking to erect cameras so we can catch whatever it is on disc."

County councillor and ecologist Dr Sarah Hill has examined the image of the paw print.

She said: "It is not a dog. If I had to hazard an opinion, I'd say it was a puma. It is very big, whatever it is."

Animal expert Ben Potterton, of Twycross Zoo, has recently returned from studying big cats in Sri Lanka.

Mr Potterton said: "I am sceptical about most reported sightings in this country, but there is no doubt there are big cats in the UK.

"Animals were released into the wild after the introduction of the dangerous animals laws in the 1970s. They tend to look for isolated areas.

"In this case, I would urge the people to send the faeces for analysis. That could check the DNA and also what the animal has been eating."

Nigel Spencer, of Leicestershire and Rutland Panther Watch, said: "There is a history of sightings of big cats in the Bruntingthorpe area and surrounding villages."