IN THE past month there have been four sightings of big cats across north Kent.

All were reported to Neil Arnold, the founder of the Kent Big Cat Research Group, which studies eyewitness reports of the exotic creatures.

In the most recent sighting, a man reported how his dog froze at the sight of a black cat in Bean Country Park.

According to Mr Arnold, this could be the same black leopard prowling around Bluewater, which was recently spotted by a family eating in the food court near McDonald's.

On December 4 and 8, drivers reported seeing a big black cat crossing the road near Dartford Heath at around 2am.

Mr Arnold believes this creature is a black leopard roaming across its territory.

He says Kent is a perfect habitat for leopards, as well as a fawn-coloured puma seen near Bluewater and a lynx in Gravesend, because there is plenty of food, water and wooded areas On December 10, a couple reported an animal that had climbed 50ft up a beech tree near their home in Thong Lane, Gravesend.

The creature tried to catch pigeons before dashing down the tree head first.

There were four sightings of big cats in Dartford Heath in October and November this year.

Mr Arnold, who has been monitoring big cats for 15 years, receives around 280 reports of sightings every year from across the county.

He says black leopards and similar animals were popular pets in the 1960s and 1970s.

The introduction of a licence for such creatures could have meant hundreds were set free.

He said: "There are so many people seeing these cats all the time.

"This to me is not very mysterious. It's very common."

Call 01634 302572 to report a big cat sighting.