Larry the Downing Street cat finally kills first rodent

Larry the cat may have earned a reprieve after killing his first rodent. Credit: Ben Stansall/PA Archive

On a day where David Cameron has been questioned on whether he was a "man or mouse", Larry the Downing Street cat has proven he is no friend of rodents.

The five-year-old feline finally showed his ferocious side as he recorded his first kill since moving into No 10 over a year ago.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's temporary deputy director of communications Olly Grender tweeted that a dead mouse greeted her when she arrived at No 10 today.

Larry arrived in Downing Street last February to help with a rodent problem.

Hopes were initially high for the feline, with the Prime Minister's spokesman calling him a "good ratter" who had a "strong predatory drive".

However, Larry seemed to take a lackadaisical approach to his mousing duties and there was speculation his days at No 10 were numbered. His latest kill is likely to earn him a reprieve.

Larry plays with bunting instead of hunting for rodents. Credit: Ki Price/PA Wire

Although Larry has only just found his vicious streak with rodents, the feline was less-than-friendly when he met our political correspondent Lucy Manning last year.

The cat's kill comes at an apt moment after a senior Tory MP publicly questioned whether Cameron was a "man or mouse".

The No 10 spokeswoman quipped: