A mysterious beast has been terrifying locals with a witness describing a huge dog-like creature running across fields at "incredible" speeds.
Villagers in the Bolton area have dubbed the giant dog-like creature the Rivington Pike Beast.
It is said to prowl Winter Hill, home to the highest TV mast in the country, attacking sheep and growling at hikers.
Two men out hunting rabbits with air-rifles found a dead sheep that was still steaming before hearing a rumbling growling sound.
Alarmed, they shone their torches into the darkness and one of them claimed to see a dark stocky shape with reddish eyes watching them.
The other man shouted: "We're going to need bigger guns" as they ran back to their car and drove away.
The witness said: "The remaining sheep in the field had flocked together and looked scared and worried.
"They were acting really strange. The growling continued all through the event. "It was a loud, rumbling growling noise."
Last summer a dad was driving his six-year-old son to school in Adlington when he spotted a huge dog-like creature running across a field at "incredible" speed.
He described it as a dark rottweiler or bulldog and said it vanished in a flash.
He reported the sighting to the Winter Hill Investigation Team, a local team investigating reports of the beast, who said it was the first time it had been seen in daylight.
Investigator Mick McLaren said: "This witness is different from the others. All the other witnesses have experienced hearing or seeing the beast, or seeing eyeshine, at night.
"This is our first where our witness has seen in daylight what this beast looks like."
The legendary creature is also known as the Rivington Werewolf or Rivington Pike Bearman.
