A HALE resident got a shock when she saw that an animal snapped by a Messenger reader was being referred to as the 'Beast of Hale' in last week's paper - because it is her prized pet Bengal cat.

Messenger reported how Jean Smith, of the Leas, Hale, took the snap of an exotic looking animal in fields off Old Meadow Lane, near her home, .

She was convinced it was a savannah cat - and thought it may be the mystery creature that Messenger readers have reported seeing in the area since last year.

But a pet owner from Hale - who does not want to be named - says it is in fact one of her two Bengal cats.

She said: "They are very well looked after domesticated cats - certainly not wild animals."

The spotted Bengal is a hybrid breed, a cross between the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat.