Shocked Philip White could not contain his shock as he filmed some of the clearest footage ever shot of a "phantom cat" loitering in the British countryside. The 39-year-old father of one said: "Look at the size of that b***** - that is a massive cat." Mr White today spoke of his fears after recording the huge feline behind his home in Great Alne, Warwickshire. The video shot from 70 yards shows the animal, measuring about four foot from nose to tail and with a heavily-marked coat and banded tail, padding across open ground before disappearing.

SWNS The big cat was filmed prowling around the British countryside

At first, I thought it was a deer

He said: "At first, I thought it was a deer. "I've seen it before but never had my camera so when it appeared again I just started filming. "It's a big cat in my mind, there's no doubt about it. It looks like a wild cat you normally see in the zoo or a safari park. "Either it's escaped from a private collection or just living in the wild but it was pretty scary to see.

SWNS Philip White filmed the creature about a month ago

"It looked fully grown and was walking around with confidence so it's obviously used to its surroundings. "We keep our windows and doors closed at all times now and are always careful when we take our one-year-old daughter out in the garden." The footage was shot late last month and follows other recent sightings of a large feline with leopard-like markings as well as the sounds of growling in the village. Reports have been sent to Alcester Police Safer Neighbourhood Team.

"I am worried for the children because they are more vulnerable," added Mr White, who works for a waste storage firm and shot the film at around 10am. "There are lots of families. There is actually a children's playground nearby so the thought of that is quite concerning." Reports of big cats have become almost a part of life in the British countryside in recent years with regular sightings of panthers, cougars and lynx. The so-called Beast of Bodmin has become something of legend and sightings of what now logged as "phantom cats" led to a ministerial investigation into the phenomenon in 1995.

SWNS The family worry about the dangers of having a wild cat on the loose near their garden

It concluded there was no proof of their existence but commentators have argued that changes in dangerous animals legislation in the 1970s may have seen animals being freed only to go on to breed in the wild and establish viable populations. Danny Bamping from British Big Cats has given his verdict on the latest sighting from Warwickshire and explains the feline filmed is not a domestic moggie.

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