In May 1993 the British media published stories of the Tizzie-Wizzie, a bushy tailed, winged hedgehog said to inhabit the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria.

The story began when The Lake District National Park Authority reported that a local man had recently spotted, from his boat, a specimen of the Tizzie-Wizzie scuttling from the Brockhole jetty into the undergrowth - supposedly the latest in a long line of sightings dating back to the beginning of the century.

A visit to 'The World Of Beatrix Potter', a tourist attraction near to the shores of Windermere, gives a clue as to where the legend of the Tizzie-Wizzie came from. One of Beatrix Potter's characters was a hedgehog called Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, so perhaps the legend is nothing more than a twist in the Beatrix Potter tale?

In around the year 1900, a Bowness boatman with an ear for a good yarn and a taste for even better beer recounted to some visitors at the Stag's Head Hotel his thrilling encounter with an extraordinary beastie resembling a cross between a hedgehog and a squirrel, and, even more bizarre, sporting a pair of wings.

Searches were made, and the boatman and colleagues were liberally plied with liquid refreshment by tourists whenever their strength seemed likely to flag from the pursuit. Tizzie-Wizzies were apparently sighted all over the place, invariably coinciding with the opening time of local taverns.

For a long period Tizzie-Wizzies remained unremittingly elusive, but in 1906 a specimen was acquired and taken to the studio of Louis Herbert, a local photographer. Herbert's unique Tizzie-Wizzie portrait was later reproduced as a postcard and also in Irvine Hunt's book Fenty's Alburn Lucidly depicting its bushy tail, translucent wings and slender antennae.

Carol Walker of Bowness recently claimed in the Westmorland Gazette that her grandfather George had invented the Tizzie-Wizzie. According to Carol, her grandfather, who ran the family boatyard at the turn of the century, took a large rat caught in the yard, stuck on some hedgehog spines and attached a pair of wings to its back.

As the years went by, Tizzie-Wizzie fervour died down, and what must surely be one of the most hilarious of all wildlife hoaxes was never heard of again - until 1994.

Tizzie-Wizzie's belated comeback in May stemmed from a delightful and well-publicised idea jointly conceived by the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, the Brockhole Visitor Centre and the Bowness Bay Boating Company, to feature the Beast of Bowness as the star attraction of a treasure hunt, The Tizzie-Wizzie Trail, which leads its tourist detectives on a pleasant quest along the shores and across the waters of Lake Windermere, answering questions related to local sites and sights, with a limited edition sculpture of the fabled Tizzie-Wizzie as a monthly prize.

A man has died after being trampled by a herd of cows.

Frank Winthorp, from Prospect near Aspatria, was found in a field near the village of Gilcrux at 10 AM on Sunday. The 62 year old had been walking his dog. He suffered serious head injuries and was pronounced dead by a local doctor and paramedics who attended. Inspector Andy Carter of Maryport police said: "We're not sure exactly of the reason. He walked his dog there quite often but for some reason he or his dog or both alarmed the cattle which appeared to have run towards him and trampled over him causing serious injuries from which he died."

There were about 30 cows in the field.

A passenger on a train travelling through Silecroft, near millom, was shocked to see what she describes as "a large cat-like animal" prowling through a field.

Mary Kavanagh wrote to The Whitehaven News to share her amazement at what she believes may have been a leopard or puma.

"I was travelling back from Millom on the 3.23 train after visiting my sister who lives in the town," she said.

"Just before the train approached Silecroft I was amazed to see the cat, which might possibly have been some sort of leopard or puma."

"It was far bigger than an ordinary domestic cat, being at least the size of a large greyhound or lurcher dog," said Mrs. Kavanagh of Longthwaite Road, Wigton.

"It was black in appearance and had an unusually long tail."

"I have read about sightings of mystery wild cats such as the 'Beast of Bodmin' but never once imagined such creatures may be roaming the Cumbrian countryside."

Parish council clerk Netta Addison said her husband saw an unusual animal roaming through a wood between Silecroft and Waberthwaite some years ago.

"He said it was an ape like animal with a long tail," she said.

A Seascale fellwalker has backed up the recent claim of a sighting of a "big cat" in Copeland. Although it was in 1996,  Nora Winter, from The Fairway, Seascale, says she still remembers the September day she and her husband were walking above Eskdale.

"We first noticed a frightful smell, just like a tom cat. Then we saw it just by Stoney Tarn. It was a large black panther - like creature. It was about the size of a Great Dane dog. It made it's way off into the bracken."

"I didn't tell anyone at the time as I didn't want to risk being ridiculed, but I'm sure it was a panther."

While walking my dog on the evening of Sunday, January 25th on the road out of Beckermet towards the A595, I passed Nursery Woods. The time was approximately 16.45. It was starting to get dark so my visibility was not that good, but as I walked past the woods I heard the snapping of branches.

Thinking it was a deer or another animal, I stopped to try and see what it was. Looking through the trees I noticed a large creature covered in a sort of ginger brown hair that seemed to be drinking from a pond about 150 metres into the woods. As the lighting was getting bad I was straining to make out what the animal was but as I stopped and stared it appeared to see me, at which point it reared up onto it's hind legs and made off slowly further into the woods. I would estimate it's height when upright to be approximately six feet and six inches and it's weight to be about 14 stone.

This was not a man as it was naked except for it's covering of hair. Also it was not a deer as it made off on it's hind legs.

After the sighting I rushed to my home in Beckermet and told my wife what I had witnessed. Let me assure you, this is not a hoax. I was going to report the incident to the police but my wife persuaded me not to for fear of ridicule. I have lived in Beckermet for seven years and walk past these woods almost every day and have never witnessed anything like it before of since.

Name and address withheld by agreement.