Riley the Lakes' stray community cat has been honoured with a statue and plaque

A statue and plaque are now in place to remember a stray cat beloved by the community in the Lake District.

Thousands of pounds were raised for a life-size bronze statue of Riley the cat, which is now in place on the wall in Millans Park where she used to enjoy sitting.

The statue was first unveiled to the community in Ambleside on Saturday 22 June and it was designed by local artist and sculptor David Cemmick.

The statue and plaque cost around around £8,500, but the community are still around £700 short of their fundraising target.

Riley, also known as the Millans Park Cat, died after she was hit by a car and she was believed to have been around around 13-years-old.

She first came into the lives of the people of Ambleside in 2011, when Dodd’s Italian Restaurant owner Laszlo Papp, found her struggling in the snow as a kitten.

Riley was so popular in Ambleside, she even had her own facebook group where people would post about meeting her.

The plaque reads: “The statue commemorates her life of freedom and joy she brought into our lives and will never be forgotten.”

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