ANOTHER sighting has been made of a black panther-like creature after reports that a big cat was roaming the York area.

Patricia Atkins says she spotted the giant cat on Thursday evening as she was driving near Kiplingcotes Station, Market Weighton.

Patricia, 21, who lives in Goodmanham, said: "We were driving home when I saw what I thought was a large black fox carrying a hare. It was about 200 metres away. It was my mum who said you cannot get black foxes.

"We both sat and watched it as it carried the hare to the side of the field. We were there for about 15 minutes."

Patricia said the cat she saw had a very long, thick tail and was about 4ft long and about 30in in height.

It is the fourth sighting of a mystery beast to be reported since Saturday, when two York women said they had seen a panther in their garden.

Nikki Winterburn and Katie Ibbotson described seeing a 5ft long cat at their home on Lilac Avenue, Hull Road.

Since then two other people have come forward saying they had seen a similar animal in the York area.

Updated: 10:43 Tuesday, April 13, 2004