Cats lose legal fight

An animal charity has won a legal battle over a £1 million house occupied by four cats.

Cats Protection was granted a possession order allowing it to claim the house in Barnes, which was left to the charity by an eccentric cat lover, Lady Follett, who died in 1996.

Lady Follett, the widow of former Science Museum director Dr David Follett, created a haven for animals at the five- bedroom, detached property, caring for sick or unwanted cats and injured birds.

Lady Follett also left a proviso that a friend and neighbour, George Rapkins, would stay at the house and care for the surviving cats.

When he died in January this year, aged 90, the charity thought it would finally be free to sell the house.

But it had reckoned without Ian Simpson, who had cared for Mr Rapkins in his final months. He moved into the house four months ago, claiming the four surviving cats were entitled to stay there until they died.

But today the charity won its fight to evict Mr Simpson, 43, who shared the house in the south-west London suburb with Cocoa, Smoky, Sleepy and a fourth cat which apparently has no name.

After the hearing, Mr Simpson, who is unemployed, said: "I have got to get back to the house because I have my possessions there and the cats need feeding.

"I am very disappointed. Cats Protection is meant to be protecting cats, but they are evicting cats that have lived there for 15 years." Dominic Sullivan, representing Cats Protection, said: "The judge was satisfied that the trustees of Cats Protection were legally entitled to the property and granted an order of possession forthwith."

The cats will be rehoused by the charity, which finds homes for 70,000 cats a year.

When she died in 1996, Helen Follett left her home to Cats Protection with the instruction that it could not be sold until "all reasonable steps" were taken to turn her estate into a cats' home.

Neighbours were horrifiedat the plans, and in 1997 Richmond Council refused planning permission to turn the house into a home for cats and other animals.

Mr Simpson claimed an agreement made between Mr Rapkins and the charity after Lady Follett's death meant the cats were entitled to stay in the house until they died, even if Mr Rapkins died first.

But Cats Protection said it was aware of no such agreement, that Mr Simpson had no legal right to be in the house and that it did not believe it was disregarding Lady Follett's wishes.