A CAT which has been visiting a country park has been reunited with his owners after being missing in the woods for almost a year.

The staff at Queenswood Country Park have become rather fond of the handsome ginger cat who has been visiting the site for a couple of months.

He often kept the engagement team company as they prepared for children’s activity sessions in the woodland yard.

But when the occasional sightings turned into regular visits, reserve officer, Paul Ratcliffe, checked online to see if any cats were reported missing in the area.

One had been lost locally in December 2016 and, although he thought it seemed unlikely to be the cat in question given the amount of time that had passed, the Queenswood cat’s distinctive big paws and tongue certainly matched the photo.

Paul said: “I had seen a ginger cat some months ago but he seemed fine. I’d assumed he was just visiting from a neighbouring property. In recent weeks, however he was a regular visitor and becoming more friendly.”

It turned out that ‘Oscar’ had been visiting Phil and Jan Collins in Dinmore with mum, Vicki, and her son, Oliver, for Christmas but had gone missing on Christmas Day.

The family spent all Christmas Day searching for him and put up posters and posted on Facebook but to no avail. They sadly had to leave to return to their home in Wiltshire without him after the holiday.

The pair had almost lost hope of seeing him again but were thrilled to be reunited with their pet after his big adventure.