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A1 Black Cat roundabout sculpture turned white by vandals

BBC White splashed black cat on roundaboutBBC
This is the latest attack upon the much-loved landmark

A much-loved landmark sculpture of a black cat at a busy road junction has been spray-painted white by vandals.

The large metal figure at the A1 Black Cat roundabout between Bedford and St Neots has been targeted, broken, stolen and replaced a number of times.

It has now become a white cat with a grimacing face, as the Cambridge News reported.

The engineering company that made the original cat - and its replacements - said: "These things happen."

The roundabout, used by thousands of vehicles a day, was named after the former Black Cat garage at the junction.

Highways England Black Cat roundaboutHighways England
The Black Cat roundabout links the A1 with the A421 and the A428, and the cat is in the middle of it
White splashed black cat on roundabout
The metal sculpture has proved popular with vandals and thieves

Residents in nearby Chawston came up with the idea of decorating the roundabout with a cat, and local company Watson and Brookman made the first metal sculpture.

And they made the next one - and the next - after successive attacks and thefts of the cat.

"They got bigger each time, but yes, they have been targeted - one ended up in Sunderland, I believe," a spokesman said.

It is not known who decided to change the cat's colour this time, but Bedfordshire Police said it had not received reports of the vandalism.

It is also not known when the cat will be back to black, but Highways England has confirmed it will be "restored it to its former glory in due course".

HIghways England Black Cat RoundaboutHIghways England
The roundabout is named after a former garage at the busy junction