A CUTE kitten rescued by flood victims as they returned to their homes has become a purr-fect mascot for the community.

Residents of Parkside Close – one of the streets worst affected by the Boxing Day deluge – discovered the kitten last month and have chosen to name him Flud.

The adorable animal was just a few weeks old when he was first spotted on the estate and has now found a home with Joyce Walkden, who moved back into her flood-damaged home in August.

She: "I took Flud in on August 8, which was three or four days after we moved back in here.

"I had said that when we moved back I would get a kitten to celebrate, because I have always had cats, and Flud just happened to be here waiting for me.

"There had been some sightings of him around the close and it became a big thing in the community to try and find this cat.

"Then I saw a post on our Whatsapp group one day saying that he had been found, and I knew straight away that I wanted to take care of him.

"He was only four or five weeks old then, and he is still absolutely tiny and very pretty."

Looking after Flud has been a highlight of the summer for Joyce's grandchildren – Jameela, Rueben, Theo, and Tabitha – and he has become a regular topic of conversation around the estate.

Joyce added: "For the first few days he was biting and scratching everyone to pieces, but now he is the most adorable, cuddly, friendly kitten you can imagine.

"The only unfortunate thing for him is that he has to live in the bathroom at the minute, because we still have people coming and going to work on the kitchen downstairs.

"He is like a little mascot for us. He is not just our kitten, he is for the whole community.

"I went out delivering some leaflets last week and everyone was asking about him.

"It has made the kids' summer holidays, they absolutely love him. He's probably the nicest cat I have ever had."