One of the most famous pub cats in Leicestershire has died, the Queen Vic in Coalville has announced.
Helen passed away from natural causes last night, landlord John Commons told LeicestershireLive.
The ginger tabby cat, who was a stray who made the pub her home some 15 years ago, had given birth to some 21 kittens in five litters over the years, and won the hearts of countless punters at the bikers' pub over the years.
John said: "We think she was about 15, but she was a stray. We had a band on from the Isle of Wight called Helen Keller.
"They went to the chip shop, came out and there was this little ginger kitten.
"They gave her a piece of chicken and she followed them back.
"One of the band phoned his wife to ask if they could bring her home and they said know, but by that time some of the customers had said lets feed it and that was it. She'd been here ever since.
"She had been fine before last night. Normally she'd want feeding and would sit on the bar but she wasn't last night. I didn't think anything of it but I went to feed her after I had locked up and found she'd passed away.
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"She touched the hearts of so many people. It's the first thing people say when they come in - where's Helen. We have bands ask before they ask where the stage is!
"She's had a lovely life here, been well looked after, she couldn't have asked for a better family for a stray."
Helen has been buried in the pub garden at the Whitwick Road venue, and a plaque is going to be erected in her memory.
