RESIDENTS in Churchward are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for a cat with a suspected broken leg.

A number of people living between the Weighbridge Brewhouse on Penzance Drive and Sainsbury's Bridgemead have reported seeing the fluffy black and white feline who appears to be hobbling around with a limp, unable to put any weight on its front paw.

One Churchward resident who contacted The Adver after spotting the cat, who did not wish to be identified, said: "I first saw the cat at the end of last week on Saltash Road. It seemed to be carrying its front paw, which was white, but really dirty, and was unable to walk on it.

"I didn't stop because I thought it must be someone's pet and being in a residential street, someone would soon pick it up and look after it.

"But on Monday night I saw it again, this time between Pebley Beach and the Renault dealership. I feel absolutely awful for not doing something about it last week when I first saw it. The poor thing must have been out all weekend, in a lot of pain.

"I had my hands full with my shopping from Sainsbury's so I dashed home to drop it off and grabbed my neighbour who came back with me to try and find the poor thing. She brought a towel and some tuna to try and lure it out."

But try as they might, the pair could not find the cat again, despite it being spotted less than five minutes previously.

"We spent a good hour searching all of the bushes and looking under the cars," the resident said. "We even managed to have a chat with some of the vets that were leaving the clinic and they said they had been told about the cat, but they hadn't been able to see it.

"I hate to think of it suffering like that, and I just hope that someone is able to spot it and take it to the vets so it can get the treatment it clearly needs."

The large cat is described as having long, fluffy black fur with white socks and white on its face,