BEAST OF LANGLEE SPOTTED AGAIN

Ecky (67) has only now been able to talk about the incident two months ago when he stared death in the face and was only saved by pretending to be drunk and rolling down a banking in Langlee woods.

  Ecky said: "I'd got up early one morning and decided to go for a walk up the woods with my dog Bracken. It was a lovely day so i decided to pick some fruit while i was there to make jam when i got home.

  However, his pleasant day of picking fruit was about to descend into a nightmare of which few people would want to - or could imagine. "I'd went into a thicket because i'd spotted a nice bunch of oranges and i remember pricking one of my fingers and yelping in pain. That's when i heard what could only be described as a sort of growling noise."

  What the burly war veteran saw next left him rooted to the spot with fear as he stared into the eyes of the mythical creature thought to roam the area known as Langlee woods.

  "I couldn't believe what i was seeing," said the ex-boxer, "i'd heard of the beast of Langlee but just thought that it was an urbam myth, but what i saw that day convinces me that there is some creature up there in those woods. A creature not yet recognised by science."

  Ecky describes the creature as being roughly the same size and shape as a labrador. With shiny black fur and a strange tail - like appendage protruding from the end opposite its head - possibly an extra arm used for tearing flesh from its intended victims.

  "It's eyes were the things i remembered most", he went on. "They were big and brown."

His hands trembling at the memory of his encounter, Ecky went on to say that it was only his army training that prevented him from being torn to shreds by the enormous panther - like creature.

  "I remembered when i was fighting in the Korean War and our platoon was often attacked by bears. We'd play dead and the bears would lose interest and just wander off. So that's what i decided to do."

  Ecky decided that this was his only chance and threw himself down a steep banking. And sure enough, no sooner had the beast appeared, than it was gone again. Like a ghostly apparition, it faded into the thick undergrowth and was never seen again.

  " I lay there for what seemed like an eternity. Bracken had buggered off and a passer-by spotted me and called an ambulance."

  Paramedics who attended Ecky say that when he was found he was rambling incoherently, probably suffering from shock. And kept asking where his "carry-out" was.

  He said: "I don't know what that was about - i don't even really drink that much."

  Meanwhile, Police have released an artist's impression of the beast, and ask that any members of the public do not approach it as it is considered extremely dangerous.