Pet-loving staff with Eagle Couriers have stepped in to help a family be reunited with their long-lost cat – after the animal turned up almost 500 miles away.

Sampson the cat vanished from its home in Penicuik, near Edinburgh, 18 months ago and owner Linda Jansen feared the much-loved moggy was gone for good.

However, this week she received a call from a vet in Plymouth announcing the cat had been found as a stray – even though the English coastal resort is 478 miles away.

The animal was identified thanks to a microchip inserted under its skin and because it hates travelling in vehicles, will have to be sedated for the journey back to Scotland.

Linda contacted Eagle Couriers, which employs more than 100 people with bases in Edinburgh Bathgate and Glasgow and is widely experienced in animal-related jobs.

Director Fiona Deas, also owns the Noah’s Ark pet shop in Granton Road, Edinburgh, while the firm is a generous sponsor of the Five Sisters Zoo in West Lothian and has a long running contract to ferry samples between vet practices and the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies.

Fiona added: “This is one of the most amazing pet stories I have ever heard. I don’t suppose we’ll ever find out how the animal ended up on the south coast of England, but we can make sure it gets home safely.

“As an animal lover myself I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of shock and elation the owner must be feeling at the moment. It really is a quite incredible turn of events.

“We understand the animal gets distressed when it is travelling by road, so we will liaise with the vets and do everything we can to make sure the journey home is as comfortable as possible for the big reunion.”

Scottish PR agency Holyrood PR provides public relations in Edinburgh for Eagle Couriers, achieving widespread coverage across the UK