Another sighting of the so-called "beast of Hoddlesden" has added to reports of a big cat roaming the area. Catherine Riley, 39, of Bolton Road, Ewood, was on her way to visit her horse at its stables at Brockenhead Farm, off Roman Road, when she saw the "beast" in fields off Knowles Lane, at around 9am.

She said: "I saw it and wondered what it was - it was much bigger than a cat - and then I read about it in the paper and it all made sense. "I've never seen anything like it before. It was quite a way away but it still looked really big - larger than a cat or a dog.

"It had a cat-like face and it was white or grey, with darker patches around the mouth area. I just saw it in the corner of my eye and did a double-take. It made me jump a bit."

.