TWO more people believe they have seen a big cat on the eastern side of Ipswich.Vera Westlake, of Felix Road in Ipswich, saw a creature she thinks was a big cat on the playing field beside Holywells High School during the early hours of Monday morning.

TWO more people believe they have seen a big cat on the eastern side of Ipswich.

Vera Westlake, of Felix Road in Ipswich, saw a creature she thinks was a big cat on the playing field beside Holywells High School during the early hours of Monday morning.

She said: “I woke up at 3.30 in the morning and just looked out of my window which overlooks the school.

“I saw this large animal on the playground under the light and it looked like a big cat to me. What I remember is that it was incredibly black.”

The animal remained on the playing field for a few minutes - although it was not there when she got up in the morning.

Mrs Westlake added: “I was talking about it to some of my friends later in the day and they pointed out the story that was in the Star last week about the animal that was seen near Rushmere.”

Kesgrave newsagent Derek Kendall also thinks he saw a big cat on Monday morning, this time at about 5.30am.

Mr Kendall, of One Stop in Penzance Road, Kesgrave, delivers newspapers to the Nuffield Hospital in Foxhall every morning and saw the animal cross the road in front of him near the speedway track.

He said: “It was about 50 yards in front of me and moved pretty fast. It was definitely the shape of a cat but it seemed quite big.

“I don't think it was as large as a panther but it was larger than any domestic cat I have ever seen and it was very black.”

“Delivering papers so early I see a lot of wildlife - foxes, deer, all kinds of animals but when I read about the big cat in the Star the other night I said to my wife 'I've never seen anything like that.'

“But then the next day I went out a bit earlier than usual and see this, I'd just like to know what it is,” he said.