A HEREFORD woman did not expect to come across a rather mysterious big cat on her way to work last night.

Debbie Smithers was travelling from her Whitecross home to St Michael’s Hospice at around 8.55pm on Sunday evening when she came across what she describes as a “large, dark cat” on Lumber Lane, near Lugwardine.

“It was about three feet high, stood on the opposite carriageway of the road, facing Hereford,” said Mrs Smithers, a nurse at the hospice.

“Within seconds its tail went up and it sort of gracefully jumped across into the verge and into the hedge.”

Mrs Smithers said she has only seen similar animals in a Safari Park or Zoo.

“I just thought ‘what on earth is that?’ I was just amazed really, more than anything. I was quite taken with the elegance of how its tail went up and it jumped into the verge,” she added.

  • Have you seen any big cats in the area?

If so, email jessica.phillips@herefordtimes.com or call 01432 845884.