A heartbroken mother has issued a plea to local residents to help locate her 10-month-old cat which escaped from her family home in Redbourn over two weeks ago.

Devastated Claire Pate is calling on anyone in the area who may have seen Chester - a rare breed Snowshoe Siamese cat - to get in touch as the family “are going out of their minds with worry.”

She explained that Chester escaped from the family home in Meadow View on Thursday, February 12, when she went to put the rubbish out.

She said: “We have another cat Poppy, who is eight months old, who likes the outdoors and Chester, who is an indoor cat, must have followed her outside.

“I tried to get him back inside but he panicked and ran off.”

She admits she can’t bring herself to tell her three-year-old daughter that he is missing, with her believing he has “gone to visit the tooth fairy.

“She is obsessed with cats and he was actually an early Christmas present for her. We’ve had him since he was eight weeks old and a tiny baby.”

She went on: “We just need to know what’s happened to him. Even if he is dead, we are just going out of our minds with worry.

“We don’t know if he’s got lost or if he’s been stolen but I am hoping that if he wandered off to Harpenden people might have seen him.”

“He is very timid, he will probably not let anyone get too close to him but I’m just hoping someone has seen him or given him some food.

“He is micro-chipped and neutered.”

She added that the family has done “everything in (our) power” to find him, having put up posters in the neighbourhood, gone door-to-door and contacted local RSPCA branches.

“We are heart-broken. He is a massive part of the family and my daughter has been desperately sad since he left.”

Anyone who may have seen Chester can call Claire on 07771924819.