The mysterious black “panther-type” animal stalking residents in Shropshire has finally been spotted up close and personal.

David Strefford, of Donnington, near Wroxeter, was confronted by the animal while hedge-trimming in Kenley, near Shrewsbury.

The farmer got off his tractor to make an adjustment to the machine when a large black cat began bounding down the lane towards him.

He said: “It stopped suddenly roughly 10 to 12 yards away from me, it hissed, bearing its white fang teeth, ears flattened against its enormous head.

“I thought what am I to do. It happened so quickly that somehow I didn’t feel scared or frightened just alarmed at its presence.”

Mr Strefford describes it as a beautiful animal with massive paws and a tail about 4ft long.

“I waved my arms in the air and shouted. It turned and jumped into the woodland,” he added.

“I climbed on to my tractor and started the machinery and continued trimming the hedge, it ran parallel to me between the trees of the wood, coming out into the lane and bounding off ahead of me and then turned and ran back towards me, I stopped, it turned and faced the hedge and with one powerful thrust leapt up and over.

“There was a slope below the hedge of about 3ft and about a 5ft high hedge so it cleared about 9ft in all effortlessly, the power was amazing.” The ‘panther’ made its escape at Wenlock Edge.

“As I continued on trimming the hedge, I began to wonder what it would have done if it had confronted little children in the lane. I think they should be eradicated, it is certainly something I would not want to meet on a dark night. I do wonder just how many there are around the area or is it just one moving from place to place.”

Mr Strefford tells his story of the “panther” in the February/March Under the Wrekin newsletter.