A CLERGYMAN who has moved 300 miles to serve a new church is hoping divine intervention will bring his lost cat home.

The Reverend Chris Collison made the mammoth move from Sussex to Hartlepool's Headland to take up a new role as reverend of St Hilda's Church on September 18.

But just five days later his loveable cat, Omie, ran out of a door accidentally left open at the rectory, in Church Close, and disappeared.

Disorientated Omie has not been seen since and the increasingly worried reverend is calling on the people of Hartlepool to help him find his furry friend.

Mr Collison, 61, who is married to Anne, 48, said they have another cat called Alfie and they come as a pair.

He said: "He is confused where he is. He has not been out before.

"He is only a year old. They did go out in Sussex. We had a big garden there, but here it's a bit different.

"I have started to put notices in local doors, but nobody has seen anything."

Omie, a male tortoise shell-coloured cat with a whitish face, is wearing a red collar.

He recently went to stay with a family member in Eastbourne, East Sussex, and the contact number in his collar has not been changed since.

Mr Collison, who is also the chaplain for the Mission to Seafarers, said the cats were originally named Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the classical Greek alphabet and refer to the beginning and the end.

The dad of Sarah, 21, and Matt, 23, said: "He would come to somebody.
He knows his name. He is a friendly cat. We miss him, we have got his brother, but we would like both – they come as a pair."

Anyone who has seen Omie is asked to contact (01429) 267030.