Published February 22, 2026 11:31am
Updated February 22, 2026 4:04pm
A station cat, known for lying on copies of Metro, was stolen from his perch by a woman who stuffed him into her shopping bag.
George the cat became famous for warming up the copies of Metro Newspaper each morning at West Wickham station, but has now been stolen.
The beloved pet belongs to a member of Metro’s commercial team, Steven Fletcher, but has been missing for three days.
The kitty was last seen at Elmer’s End station, after being taken from his perch at West Wickham around 2pm on Thursday.
The woman carried him onto the train and was seen carrying him off at Elmers End a few minutes later.
It’s believed she may have boarded the 289 bus towards West Croydon, and when asked about carrying the cat on the bus, she told someone: ‘This is George. I’m homeless, so we’re moving.’
George’s owner said the woman is known to staff at the stations because she has mental health issues, regularly messing with books in the waiting rooms and causing problems at the stations.
She is white, early to mid-20s, slim with dark hair and often wears thick-rimmed glasses.
Steven said, ‘We just want George back, so please let us know if you have any information about either the abduction or who this woman is.
‘You may have seen George being carried or noticed a neighbour with a cat that’s not theirs. He may even be at the window looking out, given his love of the outdoors.’
George is microchipped but does not wear a collar because he escapes from them so quickly.
British Transport Police are aware of the situation.
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