A missing cat was found in Leeds after disappearing last year

A cat rescue charity in Leeds has been praised after finding a cat who had been missing for almost a year, 100 miles (160km) from home.

Lucy Roche, volunteer branch leader for Cat Action Trust 1977, external, came across the ginger cat, called Ginge, while caring for a feral colony in Garforth, and noticed he was very tame.

She took him to the vets and managed to use his microchip to track his owner in Sunderland and reunite them.

Roche said the owner was in “flood of tears” when she called and could not believe he had been found.

Volunteers from the charity visit feral colonies across Leeds, providing food, water and shelters to keep them warm.

They also take cats in for veterinary care and neutering if needed.

If the area is unsafe, they will rehome them, either with new owners or in rural areas like farms.