POLICE are investigating claims that a big cat may have been responsible for savaging a sheep in the Talycoed area.

A farmer, who does not wish to be named, said that one of his sheep had been killed by a large beast. The carcase had been eaten and paw prints the size of a man's fist had been found. Three other sheep had been attacked and suffered neck and shoulder injuries.

Local big cat expert Danny Nineham made several visits to the farm and carried out a post mortem on the dead sheep. He said the bite marks to the throat and lacerations to the body of the animals were consistent with a big cat attack.

Mr Nineham is convinced that more animals are killed by a panther type animal but remain undetected because the blame is put on dogs.

A neighbour said the farmer had called at his house and warned him to keep his children indoors at night.

Police Inspector Peter Davies said they were keeping an open mind on the issue.

Police have received a number of sightings of a large black cat in the Monmouth area this year. In March they received a call from the ostrich farm at Trellech that a very large black cat had been seen in the area and schoolboy Josh Hopkins was attacked by an animal though to be a black leopard in August.

Police also recieved a letter from a woman in Swansea which said she and her husband had called in at Symonds Yat in August and seen a large dark brown shaggy cat. She said it did not look like a puma, more like a "giant pussy cat".