A STUDENT claims to have seen a monkey on the loose in Dorchester.

Terri Leigh Cox, 17, captured a photo of the mystery creature from her window in Fordington.

She claims the ‘monkey’ scampered across Salisbury Fields and up a tree on Thursday afternoon.

Miss Cox, of Salisbury Mews, said: “It was such a shock I couldn’t believe what I was seeing at first.

“It was definitely a monkey because you could tell by its hunched back and the way it scampered across the field and up the tree.

“I managed to get a photo but it quickly went out of sight.

“I couldn’t see it very clearly but before I could get closer it had disappeared.”

The expectant mother, who is studying health and social care at Weymouth College, added that despite initial doubt from her family and friends, everyone who had seen the image admitted that it looked like a monkey.

She said: “I have no idea why a monkey would be on Salisbury Fields, it could have escaped if someone was keeping it as a pet.”

Many residents and dog walkers expressed their shock at the alleged sighting.

Jean Cumber, 80, who lives adjacent to the fields, added: “It does seem very strange but I would never say never about anything.

“I’ve never seen a monkey or anything like a monkey in Dorchester before.”

Derek Dodd, who walks his dog regularly in the area, said: “I have seen a lot of wildlife on these fields but a monkey-like creature isn’t one of them. “

Resident Rob Samways said: “I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for now, you never know what may happen. I suppose someone could have been keeping it as a pet and it escaped.”

Dog walker Lynn Jenkins added: “It’s not as strange as people who claim they have seen UFOs, so I’d never rule out that a monkey or something like it had been seen here.”

Miss Cox, who is eight months pregnant and lives with her boyfriend Shaun Bessant, said she would be keeping her eyes peeled for a second sighting of the primate.

The Sun newspaper has pointed out that the the park is only ten miles from Monkey World in Wool, although staff there say none of their primates are missing.