CAT-LOVERS Mandy Saxon and Simon Wilcock went to the supermarket for groceries - and returned home with the pet they lost a year ago!

The couple, of Addison Street, Blackburn, entrusted their beloved Charlie - named after Charlie Chaplin due to a distinctive black mark under her nose - to a neighbour when they went away last March.

But when they returned eight weeks later, the neighbour had gone - and so had their three-year-old cat.

The couple never gave up hope and when Blackburn Cat Rescue set up a stand at Morrisons supermarket in Blackburn this week they decided to to check on the off-chance Charlie had been found.

And Simon, 29, immediately identified Charlie amongst the photos of homeless cats, recognising her unique face markings.

"We were really upset, Charlie was the baby of the house" said Mandy, 30. "She's lost a lot of weight but apart from that she's exactly the same, back in her usual place on the sofa!

"We're delighted to have her back."

Mrs Eunice Faulkner, who runs the cat rescue told the couple to go to her home, where she cares for stray cats, to collect Charlie as soon as they recognised him.

"She is such a lovely cat, I was worried somebody may have chosen her already." said Mrs Faulkner, who had named the cat Polly.

But the couple raced over in a taxi and were reunited with Charlie, who recognised her owners instantly.

Mrs Faulkner started tending to to sick and abandoned cats 11 years ago and had looked after Charlie for two months after she was found in Montague Street - just a few streets away from her owners' home.

Mandy and Simon will be make another trip to the supermarket to get the shopping they never bought on Tuesday, but this time will be looking for a another item - cat food for one!