STUDENTS and staff at a Maidstone school have taken in a cat found wandering around their grounds. The tortoiseshell cat, nicknamed Tortie, was discovered roaming around the grounds and buildings of Invicta Grammar School.

The cat, thought to be a female, made herself at home after being spoiled with affection and food. She was fed and watered by staff and students and temporarily housed in a waste paper box under a photocopier.

The head teacher Sue Glanville's PA, Lynda Thompson, has now taken Tortie home until someone comes forward to claim her. She said: "I think she just wants somebody to look after her. We don't know what's happened to her but she was starving. My male cat doesn't eat half as must as she does."

The school does not believe the cat is a stray and is desperate to reunite Tortie with her owners. Ms Thompson said: "She is very well behaved and well looked after and somebody must be very fond of her. I don't really want to keep her because she must be somebody's cat and I wouldn't like it if my cat got lost."

Anyone who recognises the cat and can help reunite her with her owners can call the school on 01622 755856.