Mystery of 'big cat' sightings in London

"'BIG CAT' sightings are normally associated with the wilderness of Derbyshire, Cumbria or the Highlands but there were 25 reports in London in just five years."

- By Tony Whitfield

While lionesses of the footballing kind were seen by thousands parading down The Mall on Tuesday after their Euros victory, between 2019 and last January, the Met Police received many calls from people reporting they had seen the real thing.

There were also pumas, tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs and lynx roaming the densely populated capital, many claimed.

Only one sighting, a possible Savannah cat, was confirmed, while some were listed as unconfirmed or false, such as being found to be large, stuffed cuddly toys.

But while many fear callers are crying wolf, it was only 24 years ago the “Beast of Barnet” was finally caught. Since the late 1990s rumours of a big cat roaming north London filled pubs and school playgrounds after various sightings were dismissed as false or inaccurate.