Is this proof of the Worcestershire panther? Motorist stunned after spotting 'big cat' prowling through countryside and leaving behind paw prints

A motorist has been left stunned after he spotted a 'big cat' prowling through the  Worcestershire countryside.

In what could be a new sighting of the infamous Worcestershire panther, Geoff Thompson spotted the strange creature in the distance while pulled over in a layby between Great Witley and Martley in Worcestershire.    

The 37-year-old YouTuber and classic car enthusiast stopped to take photographs of his beloved classic Renault 10 when he spotted a large feline shape lurking in the field behind the car on April 14.  

He then pulled out his camera and started filming the creature. In the 24 second video he can be heard exclaiming, 'What the heck is that animal?!' 

Upon further investigation in the field, he then found paw prints. 

 Mr Thompson, from Worcester, said: 'I just went out for a sunny drive - I noticed it as I started photographing my car. I think it was a panther.'

Geoff, who runs the popular YouTube channel Geoff Buys Cars, attempted to track the animal and record evidence of its tracks.

He said: 'I saw this mystery animal so I'm going to take a stroll down this field and see how much mud there is at the bottom.

'The ground is very wet so if there are any prints or anything we'll see them.

'There's no dog walkers there's no one it's early in the morning no one's around no one at all.

'Big cats have always been a bit of an obsession, fascination of mine since I was a kid so to actually see something odd while out and about is pretty funny in my book.'

He got in touch with big cat researcher and filmmaker, Tim Whittard, who produced the award-winning documentary 'Panthera Britannia Declassified', which claims to prove that big cats are living in wilderness of rural Britain.

Mr Whittard, 38, of Gloucester, shared the video with other experts.

He explained: 'I have had some of my colleagues look over it and while we can't definitively say it was a big cat, the possibility remains on the table. It absolutely could have been a big cat.

'Consensus seems to suggest that the majority of the tracks photographed are more likely to be dog than anything else, so whilst the tracks do not yield positive proof, the video of the sighting itself is very organic, very natural and we can't rule out a cat.'

This is not the first time big cats have been seen in the area and numerous people commented on Mr. Thompson's video to report their own experiences.

One said said: 'I've seen a black cat in that area about 10 to 15 years ago.'

Another added: 'There are big cats out there…

'Seen one about 20 years ago about 100 yards ahead of me.

'Lucky for me, I was in my car at the time.'

One said: 'I'm going with panther... A friend tracks them in Wiltshire, I've seen similar photos, telephone poles with scratches on, height indicates big cat.

'Personally I saw something panther-like in Wiltshire one night drive. Can't be sure but will never forget the tail.'

In 2016, a terrified couple claim to have come face-to-face with a similar animal while driving through the Worcestershire countryside.