A woman from Samlesbury was overjoyed to be reunited with her cat who had been missing for almost a decade.

Caroline was heartbroken when her cat disappeared nine years ago, having been reported missing and the family launching a Facebook campaign to find their cat.

After tirelessly searching, Caroline had to give up and accept the loss of their long-hair black and ginger cat Pepe.

But the cat was recently found by PC Liz Harrison as she was leaving work at the police’s Motorway Post in Samlesbury.

Liz had heard a meowing in the car park and turned around to find the cat with an injured paw unable to walk.

She put him safely into a box and took him to a local vet where they found his microchip and confirmed that Pepe was the cat that had gone missing nine years ago.

The vet contacted his owners and left a voicemail letting Caroline know that he could be collected from Myerscough Veterinary Group.

Not long after, a shocked Caroline rang the vets back saying Pepe was their cat who they reported missing nine years ago.

Having shared an online appeal and put posters up but never heard anything, eventually losing hope.

Caroline’s daughter was only three months old at the time joined her mum to collect Pepe from Samlesbury.

Now nine years old, she had never properly met Pepe but along with Caroline, Liz and Pepe were overjoyed to be properly introduced.