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Children stay off streets over 'Beast of Sydenham'
By Paul Marinko, Evening Standard Last updated at 00:00am on 23.03.05Children living near the scene of an attack by a giant black cat have been banned from leaving school premises during the day for their own safety.
Armed police are hunting the "Beast of Sydenham" after it attacked a man. Fears for pupils have led schools in the south London suburb to stop them leaving the grounds during break times. Children have also been told to stay off the streets and use buses.
The move comes after police issued warnings and sent out armed response vehicles when they learned DJ Anthony Holder had been attacked by the creature in his garden. The 36-yearold, who described the beast as " catlike" and about 6ft long and 3ft tall, said he fought the animal off when it pounced on him. A policeman also said he had seen a huge cat-like animal.
Holly Dolan, a pupil at Sydenham Girls School, said: "We were told we were not allowed out during breaks and lunch." The school is yards from where the beast attacked in the early hours yesterday. The 18-year-old student said the school head had told pupils to use buses rather than walk between sites. Her school shares premises with neighbouring Forest Hill and Sedgehill schools.
"I was quite disbelieving at first but when the school did all this it made me think a bit more carefully about it," she said.
Holly's father, Graham, said the school was taking the police warning seriously and his family would do so too. Another parent, Tunde Okunoren, 39, said he would make sure his 10-year-old son Obi and 13-year-old daughter Melisa only travelled by car
locally. Residents said the streets were much quieter last night.
Melisa Kentmen, 34, who runs a fish and chip shop near Sydenham Park, said she had served far fewer customers. "People are only coming by car," she said. " Everyone is talking about it and they are really worried."
Council worker Dave Shanks, 52, said he was concerned about his night shifts. "I have to go to homeless hostels around the area and there are some dark passages on my route that I will be staying away from."
Meanwhile, farmers near Burford in Oxfordshire have offered ?5,000 for the capture of a big black cat-like creature suspected of killing livestock.
