A WILD big cat has been spotted roaming near Plumstead Common.

The large black feline, thought to be a panther, was seen last Thursday morning near Upton Road between Plumstead Common and Shrewsbury Park.

It has been spotted before in neighbouring Bexley borough in recent weeks, skulking round Hillview Cemetery, Welling.

Father-of-three Dave Loson, 33, saw the cat walking along a track from a window in flats on Upton Road.

The mini-cab controller from John Wilson Street, Woolwich, said: "It was standing 75-100 yards away on a dirt track for about five minutes so I got a really good look at it.

"Then it turned and just skulked away towards the bushes. From the way it moved its shoulders so gracefully, I could tell it wasn't a normal cat."

Mr Loson says the cat he saw last week was about 4ft long, which Brad Clough, the local representative of the British Big Cat Society, said matches the normal size of a panther.

Mr Clough, 22, of Granville Road, Sidcup, said: "There have been lots of reports of big cats in the area. There is a puma in Bean, near Bluewater, and lots of lynxes all over Kent."

He added: "These panthers are nocturnal travellers and can cover 25 miles in one night within a 65 mile territory."

It is thought these elusive animals first entered the wild from private collections in the 1970s but now there are so many, the British Big Cat Society wants official recognition of the issue from the government to give both animals and humans protection.

If you, or someone you know, sees one of these cats, call 01689 885712. For more information, visit www.britishbigcats.com