Shropshire's 'big cat' map

Shropshire has been no stranger to witness reports of 'big cat' sightings over the past year, but are they genuine cause for concern, or merely an optical illusion?

County opinion remains strongly divided on the subject.

Several cases have alarmed authorities enough to conduct searches of the area, even deploying a helicopter after one particular sighting in Shrewsbury after it was felt that public safety could be compromised if the animal was left to roam at large.

But many of the Shropshire Star's online readers suggest that without verifiable photographic evidence to support witness claims, the sightings of "big cats" are nothing more than an urban myth.

Have a look at our big cat map below and click on the map pins to read about each sighting (this may take a few moments to load) then let us know your views in the comments forum.