BERNARD the black cat who lost his tail after a run in with a car, has found a new home in a station keeper's cottage.

The two-year old cat nearly lost one of his nine lives after being found with his nearly severed tail after collapsing in a garden in Buckshaft.

Emergency surgery at Severnside vets in Lydney saved his life, but he lost his tail, becoming one of the Forest's first Manx-style moggies.

An appeal to find him a new home was answered by Ruth Fletcher whose last cat died at a grand old age some 18 months ago.

Bernard's now sharing Ruth's crossing keeper's cottage in Soudley with a menagerie of chickens, pigs and looking forward to some walks in the woods while, hopefully, avoiding the road.