That's the point I'm making Neil. I've seen hundreds of dead badgers on the road side but never a live one in the wild.
Farmers and keepers are generally the ones that do see them. They deal with the situation, not wanting the publicity, or people wandering over their land.
I have an angling acquaintance that's seen a panther on the Yorkshire Derwent whilst Barbel fishing. The countryside is full of deer as an exceptional food source. Have you noticed the road kill? I am not bothered either way if they're present or not. However, the evidence and sightings of their presence by sober professional sources seem to confirm that they are here. They're not talking about big cats such as in your face lions and tigers.
I've attached a link of a video taken near Worcester. It doesn't look like a domestic main coon cat to me.