A THURROCK family have had an 'absolutely amazing' reunion with a lost cat they had almost given up for dead – but he turned up safe and well at a fishing lake 27 miles from his home!

The reunion of nine-year-old black and white cat Marcel and his owner Louise Claudine has been likened to a tear-jerking Hollywood movie after the pair were reunited due to an internet coincidence and the caring nature of a Shoeburyness angler.

Marcel, who was bought as a kitten by Louise, of Prospect Avenue, Stanford-le-Hope, went missing on Friday, 22 May. He was last seen wandering around St Margaret's Avenue before disappearing.

Distraught Louise, a science teacher at William Edwards School who has just returned to work following the birth of daughter Matilda, immediately set up a poster campaign for her treasured pet, who is neutured and chipped, but it seemed he had gone for good as she got no response.

Though Louise and husband Aaron scoured the local area putting up the posters and asking neighbours and residents, together with an internet campaign, they were beginning to think their long-hared, fluffy treasure was gone forever.

But this morning (Sunday, 14 June) Louise got a phone call from a complete stranger, saying he thought he had seen the missing moggy at a local fishing lake.

"I was so excited, I couldn't believe it," said Louise. "I got dressed and was already to go, thinking he meant the local fishing lakes down Wharf Road when he told me he was close to Chelmsford – almost 30 miles way.

"But the description matched. So I had to go. And when I got there I walked up to where he was and he turned and ran to me and was mewing and purring straight away. I put him straight in his cat basket and brought him home.

"I have no idea how he got there, so far away. Maybe he got in a car or something, he must be the best hitch-hiker in the world!

I am so grateful to the angler, Lee Jarvis from Shoeburyness. I am just so lucky that he spotted Marcel and thought he looked like a cat he had seen on an internet post. He called me at 6.40 this morning and some other anglers fed Marcel and kept him close until I got there. It was amazing.

"He's skinny, raggedy and tired but he's purring and safe. I am so grateful to lee. He had been alerted by other anglers who had spotted Marcel hanging about the Chelmsford Angling Association lake and they even said: "Look's like we have got ourselves a pet cat. It's just amazing that Lee remembered seeing the picture and he checked and then called me. I am so grateful! A massive thanks to Lee.

"And thanks to everyone who went looking for him and was supportive. I will be out and about to take all the posters down now."