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Beast Seen on Trip to Fishing

Whitby Gazette: 16th May 2008

Whitby Gazette
   
A SIGHTING of the infamous Beast of the Bay means one fisherman arms himself with a video camera when he comes to Whitby.
Lee Cawood from Leeds contacted the Whitby Gazette about a sighting of the mysterious beast when he came to the town's angling festival with his dad Roderick.
He spotted the beast as he was driving along the A169 Whitby to Pickering Road near Goathland and RAF Fylingdales base on the moors back in 2004 but he has only spoken out after being spurred on by others telling their own tales.
He said: "We always set off from Leeds at 4am to get to Whitby and get all our fishing gear on the boat in time for the bridge to raise at 7am.
"Giving us time for a quick bite to eat too. Setting off early means we get to see all kinds of wildlife on the way, from rabbits, badgers, foxes and deers.
"So seeing any of those would not really excite us, albeit nice to see them.
"On this one morning we were driving down the Whitby to Pickering road, only a few miles from Goathland and the RAF base. It was approximately 5.30am and quite light as you would expect on a summer morning.
"We'd noticed a fallow deer at the side of the road (alive and well) which we both observed as we drove past.
"I was still looking out of the back window as we drove past, when my father shouted me to look.
"On turning around I was gobsmacked to see a large black panther just calmly walking across the road from left to right about a good 50 yards in front of us. My father slowed down as we approached and we were practically alongside it, when it made its way through the bushes to the right.
"It never leaped as you would imagine it doing.
"It seemed to just slink across the road and through the hedges to the right.
"It was that black it looked shiny.
"I'd say about four to five feet in length and about three to four feet high."
Mr Cawood said now every time they come to Whitby they arm themselves with a video camera.
He added: "Unfortunately we haven't seen it again, but never say never, because at the age of 32 I've many fishing trips left. And I believe it's only a matter of time."

Do you have any information on the above reports. Were you the person involved, or are you aware of any more sightings in this area. We would appreciate any information that you could give us.

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