As the “silly season” gets into full swing, readers of four Lincolnshire weekly papers are being kept up-to-date with the latest sightings of the infamous Wolds panther.

They are leading the search for hard evidence of the local “beast” that may – or may not – have been spotted.

The Skegness Standard, Louth Leader, Horncastle News and Market Rasen Mail have all reported recent sightings of the mystery animal.

Now a ‘I’ve seen the beast’ hotline has been created to further encourage readers to report their own beastly tales.

The Standard has also offered a £100 reward for any genuine films or photographs of the creature that it publishes.

Several suggestions have been made as to what the elusive animal could be, notably a panther, puma or a “rare blue fox”.

One reader reported seeing a “big, black beast” with a “strong and disgusting” … “foul scent”. It was the second sighting by Hubert Caborn, who had previously encountered the animal three years ago.

Another reader, who wished to remain anonymous, claims to have been stalked by a puma, resulting in him having to lock himself in his dog’s pen.

Louth Leader reporter Jayne Elliot said: “We have had an incredible response, with people confidently phoning in reporting sightings from a couple of weeks ago to a couple of years ago.

“There have been people who have made sightings on several occasions but unfortunately didn’t have their cameras with them at the time.

“We have spoken to some wild cat experts who do believe that pumas and black panthers could live in the Wolds.”

In recent months there have been at least nineteen sightings of the Wolds “beast” across Lincolnshire – but scepticism about the mystery cat is set to remain while the hunt continues…