‘Panther’ snapped stalking streets of UK town by ‘terrified’ mum while putting out her bins

A MUM has told how she spotted a panther while taking out the bins. Shocked Clare Hodges, 51, said she snatched a quick picture — then dashed back in “quicker than I have had in my life”. A shocked mum has told how she spotted a panther while taking out the bins Credit: SWNS She took a quick picture of the creature before dashing back inside Credit: SWNS Clare, from Ryehill, Northampton, said: “It was terrifying. “Neighbours had been leaving out some raw lamb for a lovely vixen we have in the area and we’d been trying to get a photo of it for some time so I had my phone ready. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “I heard a noise behind me, so I thought it was the fox and turned round. “Within a second I thought, ‘Oh s***, what is that?’” Clare, a full-time carer to her 11-year-old autistic daughter, went on: “All the pet cats in the area hadn’t been out for a few days before it happened. “So I wonder if it’s been in the area for some time. Clare Hodges says she is worried for the safety of children in the area after spotting the animal Credit: SWNS There have been two recent big cat sighting in the region (stock image) Credit: Getty “I’m worried for the safety of children in the area.” Northampton, whose football club are nicknamed The Cobblers after the town’s historical shoe and boot- making industry, is near two recent big cat sightings. Most read in The Sun And neighbouring county Rutland was home to the famous Beast of Rutland sightings in the 1990s. The latest scares began on July 16 with a sighting near Gretton, a village north of Corby. On August 6 a large black cat was seen five miles south-east of the first sighting in a field near Deenethorpe. Clare took her photo around 25 miles south of the second sighting on August 18. Panthers can travel 20 miles in a day searching for prey. Big cat spotter Gary Ridley, who has hunted panthers for more than 15 years, said: “Photographic experts in our team are looking into the veracity of the photo. “Some sightings are dogs or cats, but there are others that are definitely something else. “There are very big cats and they’re capable of taking down a deer. “We know because we’ve seen it.” 2 comments2