A Sidmouth photographer made a grizzly discovery when she went down to the woods – and spotted a butchered deer’s leg hanging from a tree.

The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, said a number of her friends have stories of poachers and big cat sightings, but she doesn’t know who was to blame.

She was alerted to the fleshy find when her dogs started ‘acting really strange’ as she walked them through the dense growth of the woods at East Hill near Sidbury.

“My friend said he was sure he saw something bigger than an Alsatian, another spotted a pair of eyes and quickly retreated,” she added.

“I think a lot of people want to believe there’s a big cat.

“It was hanging out of reach and quite out of the way – it’s a public path but not one many people use.”

The photographer said the limb looked like it had come from a younger animal, but she couldn’t explain how it ended up hanging around eight feet above her in the tree.

“Some people have said there are poachers – but I know farmers and gamekeepers tie up flesh,” she added.