BIG cat sightings have often been reported in Berkshire over the past few years - with many trying to get to the bottom of the mysterious 'beast of Berkshire'.

And now the first big cat sighting of this year in the county has been reported.

Lorry driver Joe Ashford was driving on the M4, southeast of Reading, when he says he saw what he describes as a 'large cat'.

Mr Ashford said: "I was passing Reading on the M4 and I am very certain I saw a very large cat along a woodland perimeter just off the motorway.

"I don’t know my cats. But, to me, it looked and moved kind of like a small leopard with hyena-like colours."

The sighting is reported to have happened last Wednesday, January 25.

"It was clear as day," Joe added.

Have you seen any large cats in the area? Please get in touch by commenting below  or contact news@readingchronicle.co.uk.

Last year a group of investigators known as Big Cats of Chilterns received a report of a sighting on Wednesday, October 19 near Amersham in neighbouring Buckinghamshire.

It was described as being a “large Labrador-sized black cat”.

A similar sighting of a ‘panther’ was also reported on Tuesday, October 11 in Padgate and days later a resident captured footage on their doorbell camera of what looked like a big cat roaming the streets.