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Lair of the Beasts: The Monster of Lytham

A Creature on the Loose

By Nick Redfern October 24, 2009

Memoirs of a Monster Hunter: A Five-Year Journey in Search of the Unknown by Nick Redfern(2007).
© New Page Books

Most of the cases of strange creatures that I investigate generally tend to fall into several, clearly delineated areas. For example, there are those long-necked lake-beasts, such as the Loch Ness Monster of Scotland and its American cousin: Ogopogo.

Then there are the hairy man-beasts, such as Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest and the Abominable Snowman, or Yeti, of the Himalayas.

And, we should not forget those unidentified winged-things, including the infamous Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, whose exploits were thrust onto the big-screen in the 2002 movie starring Richard Gere: The Mothman Prophecies.

Occasionally, however, a story will come along in which the critter concerned seems to defy any sort of identification and classification. Such was the case in May 2005, when a truly weird-looking beast was seen roaming around the town of Lytham St. Anne’s in the north of England, while simultaneously striking terror into the hearts and minds of the local populace.

Under the headline The Beast of Lytham, the following appeared in the British national newspaper, the Daily Mail on May 6, 2005, and which divulged the details of the distinctly strange saga:

"Dubbed The Beast of Green Drive, the mysterious creature has been spotted roaming in thick woodland at a beauty spot. About as tall as a collie dog but with huge ears, a large mouth and a lolloping gait, the peculiar animal has caused a frenzy of chatter in the normally sedate Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire. The creature, according to witnesses, is seen mainly in the largely wooded area of Green Drive, where there is plenty of brush and scrub to conceal a large animal."

Sandra Sturrock, who was walking her dog when she came face-to-face with the beast, said: "I caught sight of something large ahead of us. It was like a large collie, light in color with large sticking-up ears. It was watching me and my dog. I stood completely still for several minutes trying to see it more closely. I called my dog and put him on the lead and slowly inched towards the animal to get a better look but it ran off. I then went to where it had been and my dog went mad, sniffing all round the area. I have never seen anything like this before. I lived in Cheshire for ten years and frequently saw foxes and the odd deer. They usually disappear quite quickly and do not remain watching you.”

Willie Davidson, a housepainter, was another witness to the strange beast: "I was playing bowls near Green Drive when I heard a snarl behind me. It was like a monster out of Doctor Who and it needs tracking down."

A further source, who did want to be named at the time, said: "I was walking along the drive when I saw it in the fields alongside. I have no idea what it was. I could tell it was the size of a Labrador, but looked more like a hare. It can’t have been either - it was surreal."

One theory suggested when the sightings were at their height was that the beast of Lytham St. Anne’s was a Muntjac deer, one of the last remaining from a herd brought to Lytham Hall by the local squire over a century before. However, the description of the creature looking like "a monster" out of the popular British sci-fi series Doctor Who inspired very little faith in the idea that the animal was merely a friendly little deer.

A spokesman for the Lancashire Police Force said in response to the reports: "We have checked local zoos and farms, but nothing seems to be missing. It is very bizarre. We have handed it over to the RSPCA [Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] to investigate."

Experts at Chester Zoo were baffled after being shown the drawing of the Beast of Green Drive. A representative of the zoo said: "It does not look like any mammal currently alive. It looks more like a mythical beast to us."

To this day, the mystery remains; unless, of course, someone reading this knows better…

Nick Redfern is the author of many books on the paranormal. His new book is Science Fiction Secrets.