HOPES that we had finally uncovered conclusive proof of the existence of the Beast Of Selby look to have been cruelly dashed.

"Is this the Beast Of Selby?" is the question this newspaper posed last week, complete with an intriguing picture of what appeared to be an enormous panther prowling through long grass near Osgodby.

But for zoologist Chris Moiser, the answer is a resounding "no". Chris sent us a damning 400-word critique of the picture and, to rub salt in the wound, mocked up his own big cat pictures.

Chris said: "I went out and took some photos of my toy big cat in the type of scene that yours was in apart from the hedge in the background of mine you can see some similarity, I think, between mine and the published picture."

Among his devastating dismissal of our evidence, he says a real panther wouldn't allow anyone to get close enough to take a picture with a mobile phone camera anyway.

But who is this Chris Moiser to cast doubt on our massive moggy? Why should we believe him?

Well, he's already published a series of books, including Mystery Cats Of Devon And Cornwall (2001), Big Cat Mysteries Of Somerset (2005) and even While The Cat's Away, a novel about the Beast Of Exmoor. He has a BSc in Biology and Biochemistry, was elected a scientific fellow of the Zoological Society in 1990 and taught zoology for 20 years in a further education college. Chris, who lives in Plymouth, also has a book on big cats in Yorkshire "three quarters written", but he's still looking for a publisher.

How can we debate whether or not we can debate something, if we are forbidden from debating it? That was the question that had councillors and lawyers in Ryedale scratching their heads.

In a crucial vote on whether or not to press ahead with a controversial merger with Hambleton District Council, councillors in Ryedale were told they could only discuss the issue if they agreed to repeal an order imposed by another council committee forbidding them from discussing it.

Fair enough. But how to discuss whether or not to repeal the order, without discussing the implications of the merger itself?

Astute councillors John Clark and Paul Andrews pointed out they would be stuck in an endless loop of debating, from which there would be no escape.

"Give us five minutes," was the response of the council's top legal eagles. Five minutes later councillors were given the all-clear to proceed.

They were allowed to debate lifting the order, which they did, and then allowed to debate the motion itself.

Let's hope their advice was right. The merger could mean redundancies at the council, and frontline staff are threatening legal action.