The builder who logs big cat sightings in Surrey

Gary Ridley has compiled dossiers recording hundreds of sightings in Surrey

A Surrey man who has dedicated the last 15 years to researching big cat sightings says he is convinced five of the creatures are in the wild within a 10-mile (16km) radius of Guildford.

Amateur big cat investigator Gary Ridley has compiled dossiers recording hundreds of sightings, many gained through Freedom of Information requests, across the county.

Mr Ridley, a builder by trade, said: "I'm absolutely convinced they are here in Surrey from evidence that I've seen."

However despite the volume of sightings, no conclusive photographic or physical evidence has ever confirmed the existence of a big cat in the wild in the county.

Mr Ridley said he has never spotted a big cat himself.

He set up a website, Surrey Panther Watch, for people to log sightings, saying his goal is to "conclusively prove that big cats are living wild in Surrey".

He said: "Since the 1960s, Surrey residents have described encounters with large, cat-like beasts, some black, some tan.

"Many sightings report a labrador-sized black cat, similar in appearance to a panther or puma, as well as sandy-coloured pumas and lynx."

Waterers Park in Knaphill has been the location of a number of recent sightings.

Mr Ridley said: "A lady stepped out into her back garden to see a big black cat running down the path.

"She said it had a long black tail, short ears and was as big as a dog, and she was quite convinced it was a panther."

He added: "A week later a nearby gamekeeper told me one of his shooters had seen a big black panther.

"Two reports in the same area in a short space of time suggest there is a big cat here."

Mr Ridley said, after 15 years, he had no plans to wind down his investigations.

"I'd like to see a national study," he added. "I feel there are questions to answer."