Mr Jason Holmes, who works at RAF Kinloss, said he was driving about two miles out of Dallas towards the Rafford junction at about 4pm on Saturday, June 21 when he spotted the animal.

"Unfortunately it was too quick for me to take any photographs," he said. "I was about two miles out of Dallas on the southern approaches."

He said the creature was around the size of an Alsatian dog, but cat-shaped, with smooth dark-coloured fur.

"I was on the road that comes out near Rafford," he said. "I was driving when I saw an animal which made me stop, as it was something I hadn't seen before."

He said that the creature was standing at the side of the road next to some roadkill and in no hurry to go.

"We looked at each other for about five seconds and then it leapt into a ditch," he said. "The way it leapt was definitely not dog like. It was like when you see a cat pounce on something."

Mr Holmes said that he was tempted to follow the cat, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"I was more fascinated than scared," he said, "but I could definitely feel it watching me."

The 'Gazette' has previously reported sightings of a black cat-like animal near Chapleton and in woods near the quarry. Last year a Forres woman also reported seeing the creature at the side of the road when she was driving back to Forres from Dallas.

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