Soldier has encounter with big cat

THERE have long been reports of big cats roaming the countryside in the Cirencester district.

As she was returning from work last month, soldier Jess Mumford became another person convinced they have spotted one of the animals.

The black leopard-like creature was spotted by Jess as she was driving out of Poulton, near Cirencester, early on the morning of August 8.

Jess, who is a movement controller at RAF Brize Norton, and part of 29 Regiment near Cirencester, was driving out of the village on the A417 when she spotted the animal, which she said was about five foot long.

She said: “I saw a reflection of the eyes in my headlights, it alerted me to something. I slowed down to ten miles per hour and this cat was no more than a road width away from me...

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