The Black Beast of Harborough returns

Yesterday I blogged about sightings of big cats in Shropshire. Tonight the phenomenon seems much closer to home.

You see, the Black Beast of Harborough has been sighted again.

The Leicester Mercury has the story:

A black panther has been sighted in broad daylight on a country road in the south of the county. 

Callum Blair was driving to play rugby on Saturday when the animal leapt across the road in front of him. 

Callum, 22, said: “At first I thought it was a labrador. But as I got nearer I realised it was moving far too fast and was much too big. 

“I think it was in pursuit of a rabbit or something like that. 

“I just could not believe what I saw.” 

Callum, who works in recruitment, was driving between the villages of Laughton and Lubenham near Market Harborough. 

He said: “I mentioned it to the lads at rugby and some said they had known of other sightings.” 

Saturday’s encounter comes four months after petrol station worker James Voyce saw a black panther on the same road.

Discussing this Black Beast hotspot, the Mercury goes on to say:

There is a disused railway line and a canal towpath nearby which panther watchers say are used as routes between habitats.

It seems I had a narrow escape. As the photograph above proves, I was at this spot only two or three years ago.