I READ with interest (The Hunts Post, September 23) about the couple who saw the big cat in Grafham on September 12. As a resident of Grafham, I too have seen the large sandy Labrador big cat with its tail straight in the air, being at a right angle t

I READ with interest (The Hunts Post, September 23) about the couple who saw the "big cat" in Grafham on September 12. As a resident of Grafham, I too have seen the large sandy "Labrador" big cat with its tail straight in the air, being at a right angle to its back. This was no ordinary cat.

My sighting was on Wednesday September 2 at around 5.15pm while looking out of my bedroom window across the village playing field. The animal walked down the side of the football pitch towards the houses that back onto the playing field, in the direction of Van Diemen's Way.

It had that distinctive walk that cats have and to me therefore it was no dog, although its colour could give that impression. Instead of continuing down the playing field it jumped into the farmer's field towards The Wyvern group of houses that have been built off Breech Road.

I clearly knew what I had seen so, after consulting with two neighbours who are mothers, I telephoned the police. I was worried, for there were young people playing cricket on the playing field and, if the cat had turned, then I am not sure what I would have done if later I heard there had been a terrible accident.

I was given a police incident number and thought that was that. But at around 5.50pm a police officer arrived at my house to ascertain more details. He thanked me and assured me the police do take these sightings seriously and said he would investigate the area.

Several days later, while in conversation with friends, my attention was drawn to an article on Cambridgeshire's police website about PC Paul Carter, who has taken it upon himself to plot and report sightings of big cats in our county. Clearly, from this PC's information, what I saw and you reported on was a lynx, although I do understand a black puma had been seen by a person in the village playing field a few days earlier than my sighting.

PC Paul Carter also states that the centre of reported activity is west of the A1 corridor from Sawtry to the Northampton border. Certainly Grafham would, I feel, sit comfortably in that area.

How safe we are in Grafham? From the way you reported Mr Armstrong's sighting, our "big cat" roams the roads of Grafham rather than the fields that encircle our village.

KEITH GOWEN

Inhams Way

Grafham