Cat help plea as mice over run parliament

Conservative MP Anne McIntosh has grown so fed-up of mice scuttering through the Commons she called in parliament for a rescue cat to be brought in to patrol the corridors of power.

The Thirsk MP said Battersea Dogs and Cats Home should be called on to deploy a cat in Parliament to crack down on mice running riot in the mostly Victorian buildings.

Liberal Democrat John Thurso reported to the Commons that a study had shown because of the size of the Westminster estate, one or two rescue cats would not be enough and a “herd of cats” would not be manageable.

Following up, Ms McIntosh said: “It is a matter of fact the mice population is spiralling out of control, particularly in areas where food is being prepared, which obviously poses a clear health hazard.

“Would you review the decision and on the same model as Number 10 and 11 (Downing Street) to keep the mice population under control, we would consider having a rescue cat released in the evenings?

“If mice can be close to the source of food and pose a health hazard, one would think it would be perfectly sensible to introduce a cat to keep the mouse population down.”

But Mr Thurso said there would be problems, responding: “Having a herd of cats on the Parliamentary estate would present a number of difficulties.

“I am advised by my own chief whip that herding cats is quite difficult.”