Calls for statue to honour Liverpool station cat

A statue in memory of a cat which frequented a railway station for 13 years should be erected in its honour, fans of the feline have said.

The mischievous moggy, named Paul Newman after the Hollywood star, died this week aged 15.

The pedigree Bengal cat was well-known by commuters and travellers passing through Liverpool South Parkway.

A Facebook page following his antics over the years has nearly 5,000 followers.

Paul Newman's owner, local resident Steff Hudson, said her pet had brought people "a lot of joy".

"He loved people so he found a niche here because people always stopped to say hello to him because he always stopped to say hello to them," she said.

"I was very lucky because he was mine, but he was also all of theirs as well and he gave them a lot of joy."

In a tweet Merseyrail said: "We are sad to hear that Paul, our much loved feline friend often found at Liverpool South Parkway, has passed away. He will be missed."

James Smith, Merseyrail acting HR Director, said Paul the cat was "a much-loved character" and "valued by Merseyrail staff as much as our passengers".

"Discussions are ongoing internally about the best and most appropriate way of remembering Paul and the wonderful, positive impact he made to thousands of travellers on the Merseyrail network," he said.

Katie Murray, who works at the station, said: "He was just the king of the castle and this was his castle."

Station assistant Ian Healey said he always looked "dead happy with himself" and "was a little legend".

Following the announcement of his death, Paul's fans took to the Facebook page to share memories of their furry friend.

Ms Hudson said she would have "no objection" to a statue in his honour "as long as it was a good likeness to him because he was very, very handsome, like his namesake".

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