A resident believes he might have taken a photograph of a black panther in Basingstoke in the early hours of this morning. 

Henrik Winberg, 43, from Winklebury was walking his dog when he spotted a large animal in the field in front of him. 

He told the Gazette: "I was walking my dog around 5:30 up on Manydown farm. I was on the phone to my partner when I saw this black panther about 100 meters away moving fast.

"My daughter says it is definitely a black panther. It is very big.

"I felt afraid to let my dog loose. I would not let him off the lead. It looked bigger than a fox. I was not frightened but intrigued."

Henrik normally walks 10km everyday and has not spotted anything like this in the time he has lived in Basingstoke.

The Gazette has contacted RSPCA for comment.