UNITED KINGDOM – A man rescued a badly injured black cat from a Stockport railway line shortly before the Flying Scotsman passed through.
Brian Ridgeway, who is 68, was visiting Reddish South Station to catch a glimpse of the world famous locomotive on Tuesday in the afternoon, when he noticed the distressed animal curled up on the tracks.
Although the platform was closed to all passengers at the time, Brian quickly went onto the tracks to pull the cat to safety.Brian and M.E.N photographer Andy Lambert, who was at the station to take pictures of the locomotive, used the details on the cat’s collar and contacted its owner, who quickly came to collect their pet.Brian, who lives in Reddish, says he weighed up the risks of walking onto the tracks himself, but knew the line wasn’t frequently used.
The Flying Scotsman passed through the station around just about 40 minutes later.
Brian stated: “I could see the cat was badly injured. I just wanted to get it off the track, I didn’t like to see it like that. I wouldn’t like it if it was my cat.
“Even if the cat has to be put down, it’s owners should still have the chance to be with it.”
It’s not known how the cat is doing now.
