These photos could be proof that big cats truly roam the Cumbrian countryside.

Sharon Larkin-Snowden, from west Cumbria, posted the images in the Big Cats in Cumbria Facebook page which she runs to coordinate potential sightings.

She has long believed that big cats are living wild in the county, and these latest images have her excited.

She told the News & Star: "When I saw it, I just thought straight away 'caracal'."

A caracal is a medium-sized wild cat usually native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth.

For Sharon, the clarity of the images got her excited.

"This has to be some of the best photographic evidence to-date," she said. "It may not be our panther, but this is one of the smaller big cats.

"These photos are genuine.

"I'm overwhelmed by the response I got off the photos though - I only put them on my page to show other members. I never expected it to go that far."

Not only has she been inundated with interest from the national media, but she has had more than 1,400 people requesting to join the Facebook group.

Unfortunately, a rise in trolls leaving hateful messages and criticising her beliefs has prevented Sharon from accepting any new members.

As for the latest sighting, she has promised the woman who took the photos to reveal its location only as Cumbria, to prevent the creature being hunted and killed.

The photographer has since returned to take photographs with a tape measure, to try and help provide an accurate size of the feline.

Sharon said it is not the only sighting of a large cat in the county recently, and she is looking into several reports of panthers.