Whilst physical evidence seams to be in very short supply regarding the very existence of large exotic cats in the British countryside, a small band of field researchers within the UK takes these matters very seriously.

I find it very disturbing that a newspaper can offer incentives to members of the general public for pictures. There is a real danger associated with large exotic cats which generally end with people being hospitalised.

These are not big cuddly animals you can approach behind bars as in a zoo or wildlife park. If surprised a large cat will act to defend itself and try to either escape or neutralise the threat and if that's one of your readers then heaven help them.

There is little point in roaming the area with a camera strapped to your neck in the hope of taking a picture. These animals live by stealth and a puma or leopard standing at over 2ft tall will disappear in 8in of grass; it will spot you long before you spot it.

In 99 per cent of encounters with these animals they are purely chance as many of the reports by your readers would indicate.

Seen by many as the result of over doing the ale or a very vivid imagination, this is not the case as many reports come from people who work the land, or are tied to the countryside by their job. Even police officers trained in observation skills have reported such animals on daily and nightly patrols.

To date there have been no confirmed attacks on people, despite what the media may have published.

There are already a couple of good amateur videos depicting what appears to be large felines one from Devon and the other from Norfolk.

Most of my research is conducted in the Wiltshire area and I can give you some statistics regarding evidence over people's claims. In 96 per cent of reported cases no evidence was found relating to large felines, three per cent of evidence was inconclusive and one per cent was out and out feline. It's the one per cent people should think about.

I'm currently working on a project with the British Big Cat Society which involves the use of remote operated cameras both stills and video in the hope of catching one of Wiltshire's big cats on film. The last thing the project needs right now is hundreds of would-be cat hunters wandering around the countryside disturbing some very sensitive areas. In a few other cases the cats have up and left due to the up-surge in human activity which was not normal for that area.

The best advice you can give is to notify the police in the first instance and then contact The British Big Cat Society or me.

Mr C Moulding,

Beast Watch,

Wiltshire.

(01793) 861029.

British Big Cat Society: (01752) 664544.

The Wiltshire Times has never suggested that readers should try to get close to, or approach, the animal suspected to be roaming our countryside, but encourages anyone who sees it, and happens to have a camera on them at the time, to send a photograph of it to us.

Editor.