A "BIZARRE," beast has been spotted by a walker in fields around the Selby area near to York.

Steve Weston, who lives in Selby, was walking home from work in Birkin on Wednesday when he spotted a large black figure "lumbering," across the other side of a field when he was heading towards the Gateforth area.

"I've never seen anything like this in my life. It was completely bizarre," he said.

"When I saw it I though to myself, what on earth is that?," he added.

Steve said that the animal was "far too large," to be a dog, and said that it didn't have similar movements to any animals that he has seen around the area before.

"It looked to be absolutely huge, it is just unexplainable. It looked to be really muscular," Steve added

He explained how it ran through the fields, changing directions multiple times, before chasing after a hare and running into the distance.

Steve said he wondered whether it was a "big cat," that had escaped. He said: "I know some people keep exotic pets, so maybe one of them has got out."

Similar looking animals have been spotted on the run in North Yorkshire in the past, such as in 2016 when a mysterious animal was spotted prowling the fields of Ryedale.

Eagle-eyed reader Michael Armitage sent The Press pictures after he caught sight of what he believed could be a panther.

The 46-year-old was checking his Highways Agency gritter near Low Marishes, in Malton, when the large cat came into view.

Back in 2010, a big cat was feared to be on the loose in the county after a sheep was savaged and killed.

At the time, police confirmed the evidence suggests a panther-like creature could be responsible for the attack in Richmond.