Beast Of Essex: Wivenhoe

On 28th January 2009 the Daily Gazette featured an article by Emily Parsons entitled Wivenhoe: Policeman bumps into ‘Beast of Essex’ about a sighting of the large black cat that is suspected to be at large in the county.

The Beast is back!

The latest sighting of the elusive Beast of Essex was made by an on-duty police officer – as he headed back to base in Wivenhoe High Street.

The panther-like beast has been dividing opinion for years, with many people believing sightings are the result of overactive imaginations.

But its latest appearance shows police are taking it seriously, as a team of officers was immediately dispatched to hunt for the dark-coloured big cat when their colleague raised the alarm.

They spent hours searching without success, after the unnamed bobby said it growled at him before running off along the side of Wivenhoe police station in the early hours of yesterday.