Beloved Metro cat snatched by woman at train station found safe

Beloved Metro cat snatched by woman at train station found safe thumbnail

Sarah Hooper


Published February 25, 2026 1:54pm


Updated February 26, 2026 11:01am

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 last week.

George the cat became famous for warming up the copies of Metro Newspaper each morning at West Wickham station, and his disappearance sparked a desperate search.

The beloved pet belongs to a member of Metro’s commercial team, Steven Fletcher, and 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.

Now, Steven has said that George has been safely located in someone’s home after making his way in through a cat flap and ‘making himself at home’.

Steven added: ‘You’ll be pleased to know George had a good night. He was ravenous when we got to him, but he has made up for it.

‘He’s now resting in our boy’s play tent when the little fella’s not stroking him!’

George was taken into the vet to make sure he was in good health, and will remain in his home for two days to ensure he’s back to normal.

Steven added: ‘No doubt be back at the station by the end of the week.’

Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!

As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.

Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

George is microchipped but does not wear a collar because he escapes from them so quickly.

George’s owner added that local police are aware of the woman who stole him and will monitor the situation.

Arrow MORE: Who of us would be ‘illegal’ under Reform? Readers discuss

Arrow MORE: Readers discuss Ukraine’s fight against Russia and Putin’s ‘crashing’ economy

Arrow MORE: Take a moment to think about Ukrainians – they deserve our respect

Puzzles Newsletter

Get your favourite puzzles when they are ready to play on the website sent directly to you every day and track your daily streak!