A STUNNED motorist claims he could have spotted the beast of Ryedale as it darted in front of his car.

The man was on his way to work in Malton, driving along the A170 near Snainton, when the animal ran out in front of him.

He said the big cat was gone in a matter of seconds, but he was left shaken as the animal darted away through trees and undergrowth. In the past year there have been several reported sightings of the so-called beast. About the same time last year a witness reported seeing a big cat near West Lutton, to the south of Malton.

In May the Evening Press carried a picture of a giant paw print spotted by a reader near Hovingham.

This time the shocked motorist, who did not want to be named, said when he arrived at work no one had at first believed him.

He said: "It was a lot bigger than a cat, with a really long tail.

"It all happened so quickly, but I know what I saw and it was definitely a big cat of some description."

Police Sergeant Eddie Bell, who has collated sightings of such animals since 1986, said he doubted whether the animal could have been something as large as a black panther.

He said: "When animals are dark in colour it is difficult to gauge their scale and size if they are some distance away.

"If people think they have seen a panther they often describe it as enormous, because they can be six-feet long. I think what this man has seen could be a wild feral cat."

Updated: 10:42 Saturday, April 13, 2002