But he got more than he bargained for when he was driving his usual route from Barrow-in-Furness to Preston last Thursday.

Wayne, of Morton Close, Barrow-in-Furness, said: "It was about 8.30pm and I was three miles outside Preston heading towards Lancaster and this thing was crossing the track about 100 metres away.

"At first I thought it was a fox, but you can tell a fox a mile off and it was three or four times bigger than a normal cat."

The 34-year-old, who has been a train driver for seven years, said: "It was black and feline and moved like a cat. It looked just like a puma.

"I've never seen anything like it except in the zoo. I was wondering if there have been any other sightings of big cats in the Preston area.

"I've mentioned it to a few other drivers but they haven't seen anything."

Big cats include tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and snow leopards, but the roaring varieties are sometimes referred to as great cats.

Their occurrence in Britain came as a result of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act which came in response to the increasing number of people who were keeping exotic pets including hybrids between wild and domestic species, such as wolfdogs and Bengal cats.

The act led hundreds of people to release their animals out into the wild.

Probably the most famous 'big cat' is the black panther-like Beast of Bodmin which is alleged to roam the Cornish moors.

Paul Westwood, who runs a website dedicated to listing big cat sightings across the country, said animals were also released by owners who could no longer afford to keep them.

He said: "They (big cats) are still being brought into this country illegally as cubs.

"The vast majority of sightings are of black cat-like animals.

"Black does appear bigger when you look at it in the distance. It's an optical illusion. I think 95% are misidentification.

"It's quite interesting that this one was seen near railway lines.

Leopards and tigers will use tracks in their own habitats to get from place to place."

Have you ever seen a big cat in Lancashire? Call Melanie Wallwork on 01772 838 107 or e mail melanie.wallwork@yahoo.co.uk


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