Reader Chris Holly has sent us these intriguing photographs taken by his father at Ottery-St-Mary in Devon.

They show a single footprint – or rather paw print – that appeared overnight in wet sand that was laid down for his father’s patio. The print is partly weathered by the rain that made the sand wet but its large size can be clearly seen by comparison with a brick placed beside it.

‘My father is not the sort of person to indulge in practical jokes like this,’ says Chris. ‘It freaked him out because the photos don’t do justice to what he originally found. The reason he took a picture and made a comment of his find was the fact that there was only one print. The area was large enough for a set of prints or at least a pair of prints.

‘Like my father I am a sceptic of weirdness but this made us wonder! I have personally done some research and have been unable to match the prints with any known British animal.’

If anyone can identify the print or suggest how just one appeared in an area of wet sand, we’d be most interested!

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