A cat that was reported stolen in Colchester last weekend has been found safe and well following an investigation by Essex Police.

Enquiries have now established that the cat, named Oscar, who went missing from Stanford Road last Sunday, was found by a couple who thought he was their own cat, which had disappeared from a road nearby.

The couple were seen on local CCTV stopping their car to pick up Oscar at about 10.30am that evening.

Officers went to see the couple on Thursday and found that Oscar looked almost identical to their own cat. A vet checked a microchip and confirmed that the cat they had found was indeed Oscar.

Pc Ryan Kent said: “The couple were very upset as they thought they had found their own pet.

“They had well cared for Oscar and even had him booked in to see a vet.

“We were satisfied that they had committed no offences and this was a genuine mistake because the cats are so similar. They are still very concerned for their own cat.”