A FILMMAKER has released the first footage from a new project inspired by sightings of the Durham puma.

There have been numerous sightings of the legendary big cat in County Durham dating back to the 1980s.

But it is now going to take a starring role in a new film created by Durham writer Paul Stainthorpe.

The designer and blogger, from Newton Hall, has been working on a story for around a year after being inspired by a story from a friend who claims to have seen the beast.

Mr Stainthorpe said: “It’s a really fascinating urban myth. With the history of wild cats in Durham and this urban myth of the Durham puma I thought it would make a really good story.”

The Northern Echo: Paul Stainthorpe, from Newton Hall, Durham, wants to make a movie inspired by the Durham Puma

Paul Stainthorpe, from Newton Hall, Durham, wants to make a movie inspired by the Durham Puma

The film, inspired by the Steven Spielberg classic Jaws, would be a fictional account of the creature, described in a short teaser as a “mindless eating machine that will attack and devour anything”.

Mr Stainthorpe added: “Without giving too much away the story is that there’s going to be a handful of unusual deaths which lead people to think it maybe the Durham puma or maybe not.”

While there have been several claims that big cats have attacked livestock, there have never been any reported attacks on people.

Working with cameraman James Alexander, from Durham, and Richard Laverick, from Newton Hall, he has created and released a short teaser for the film and hopes to make a longer trailer this year, with the aim of securing backing to make a feature length production.

He said: “I’m hoping to attract other creative people and to get some professional actors from the area.

“Hopefully moving forward the next plan is to do a trailer telling the story a bit more. We would like to do something longer. We’re trying to push it on social media to get people involved. We’ve already had a few people come back and say this looks really interesting.”

But while Mr Stainthorpe has enjoyed researching the history of the mythical creature, he is still on the fence about its existence.

He added: “I want to believe it and I can see it happening but I’m on the fence. I’ve got to see it to believe it. I haven’t seen it but I do think there could be wild cats roaming around County Durham.

Numerous sightings have been reported to The Northern Echo over the years.

The first murky sighting of the puma is believed to have taken place in Thinford, near Spennymoor, in 1986.

In 1995, a dung sample was examined by Dr Hans Kruuk, from the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, in Aberdeen, who concluded it was “ puma or leopard droppings”.

More recently in 2009, huge paw prints measuring three-and-a-half inches in length, were spotted close to the River Tees at Winston, near Barnard Castle.

And last year a Spennymoor farmer said he believed a big cat may have killed one of his calves.