St Andrews cat Hamish McHamish dies

Aged 15, Hamish succumbed to a chest infection this morning at home in the Fife town.

Within minutes of the announcement on Facebook, hundreds of expressions of sympathy had been posted by followers from around the world.

The cat originally belonged to St Andrews resident Marianne Baird, but walked out at the age of one and went on to become the town’s collective pet, wandering between houses, shops and university buildings.

Residents of St Andrews even banded together to raise £5,000 to erect a bronze statue of the much-admired feline.

He was brought to national attention with the publication of a book last year called Hamish McHamish, Cool Cat About Town by Susan McMullan, and has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts.