'Feral' colony of cats 'relentlessly breeding in grounds of school

EFFORTS are under way to remove almost 50 feral cats living on the grounds of a Nottinghamshire secondary school.

- By JOEL MOORE

The cats are being rounded up and rehomed

Lurking in the adjoining woodland, dozens of black and white felines have gone largely unnoticed by Toot Hill School's almost 2,000 pupils.

In the words of the Bingham school's own headteacher, they have been "quietly coexisting".

It's a phrase that paints an idyllic picture, but does no justice to the "relentless" breeding and resulting pressure on local rescue centres.

Since the discovery of 45 cats, including 15 kittens, a few weeks ago, a campaign has been under way to trap, neuter and rehome the feral felines.

However only a dozen have been caught so far, and the rest could take up to six months to complete, says Zoey Sheffield, who has been instrumental to the initiative.

The 59-year-old runs the rescue service Cat Patrol, based in Mapperley Park, which is already at bursting point.

"It's quite a problem. It's difficult because it's £100 for a neuter and we've got to fundraise," said Ms Sheffield.