A cat missing for more than a decade has finally been reunited with his family after being taken in as a stray.

Black-and-white Quincey disappeared in December 2006 from his home in Witham, Essex, where he was the much-loved pet of Margaret Smith.

Despite months of searching for the cat no trace was found, and Margaret died two years later, always believing he must have died in a car accident or from an illness.

But 12 years on, the adventurous puss was taken in by volunteers from Cats Protection's Colne Valley Branch after he was reported as a stray living a short distance away from his original home in Braintree.

A quick scan revealed Margaret's details, and further research using social media sites located her daughter Paula, who lives in Braintree.

Paula, who decided to keep her late mother's cat, said: "My mum really adored Quincey, he was such a friendly and lovable cat.

"She was heart-broken when he went missing and searched high and low for him, without any luck.

"Because Quincey had epilepsy, we thought he must have had a fatal fit, or had been hit by a car. Mum eventually moved on and even got another cat, before she passed away two years later."

Out of the blue Paula saw a post on Facebook from the local branch of Cats Protection trying to trace relations of her mum after her details were found on the cat's microchip.

Instantly recognising her mum's old pet, she called the animal charity hoping to take in the now aged feline.

"It's such wonderful news, and so great to see Quincey again," Paula added.

"All my family are huge cat lovers, so I had no hesitation in taking him in.

"He's a very old cat now, but he'll be getting lots of cuddles and attention so he can live out his older years in comfort.

"Mum would have been really pleased he's finally made his way back to us, as she really adored him."

Jan Lardelli, volunteer at Cats Protection's Colne Valley Branch, said: "Sadly Margaret died long before Quincey was found, but because he had been microchipped we were able to trace her family.

"It's always lovely to see people reunited with much-loved cats, and it's clear how special Quincey is to Margaret's family."