When his beloved cat went missing in his hometown in Suffolk three years ago, Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins was devastated.
But now, the celebrity has been reunited with his long-lost feline - three years after she went missing.
Ten-year-old puss Cully was handed into Cats Protection's Anglia Coastal Branch after being found living as a stray in Lowestoft in May.
A routine scan for a microchip revealed the Bengal puss did in fact have an owner – and he just happened to be one of Lowestoft's most famous former residents.
Branch co-ordinator Delphine Wood was quickly able to make contact with the overjoyed singer and lead guitarist for the band, who took a break from a hectic tour schedule to travel to the UK to collect Cully.
Ms Wood said: 'We get lots of strays and sadly many are not microchipped, so we're always pleased if we find one.
'When the owner's details came up, I thought the name sounded familiar as my boyfriend is a fan. I was just relieved there was a phone number and it was up-to-date.
'I contacted Justin and he was so thrilled to hear Cully was alive, fit and well. It's always really lovely to give someone the news that a long-lost pet has been found, and it was clear how much Cully meant to him.'
Mr Hawkins said: 'Losing Cully was heart-breaking for me and my family but I always knew in my heart that she was still alive. I could just feel it.
'She's always loved the great outdoors. I periodically checked in with the relevant databases and kept my details up-to-date because I knew this day would come.
'Thanks to Delphine's terrific work, Cully can come home at last.'
The reunion as Cats Protection renewed calls during National Microchipping Month for new compulsory microchipping laws to apply to cats as well as dogs.
Figures released today by Cats Protection1 reveal that less than a third of pet cats are microchipped and one in four have no identification at all.
Ms Wood said: 'This story goes to show why microchipping is so important – had Cully not been microchipped we would never have been able to reunite her, and Justin would never have known what had happened to his much-loved pet.'
Cats Protection volunteers have now arranged for Cully to have the necessary vaccinations to be able to travel to Switzerland, where Mr Hawkins now lives.
To find out more about microchipping, visit www.cats.org.uk or call the charity's helpline on 03000 12 12 12.
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