Cat fight over £1m mansion

An animal charity was today taking legal action to evict a 43-year-old squatter who claims he is staying in a £1 million Victorian mansion to stop the rehousing of four cats.

Ian Simpson is staying at the home of the late Lady Follett in Elm Bank Gardens, Barnes, south-west London, with Cocoa, Smoky, Sleepy and their
nameless feline companion.

Lady Follett, the widow of one-time Science Museum director Sir David Follett,
created a haven for animals at the five-bedroom detached property, caring for sick or unwanted cats and injured birds.

When she died in 1996 she left her home to Cats Protection with the instruction that it could not be sold unless "all reasonable steps" were taken to turn her estate into a cats' home.

Neighbours were horrified at the plans to build the cats' home in one of the capital's most desirable areas and in 1997 Richmond Council refused planning permission to turn the house into a home for cats and other animals.

The other proviso was that Lady Follett's friend and neighbour George Rapkins would stay at her house and care for her surviving cats.

When Mr Rapkins died in January this year aged 90, Cats Protection was apparently left free to sell the house.

However, in stepped Mr Simpson, who had been looking after Mr Rapkins in his last months.

He claims an agreement made between Mr Rapkins and the charity after Lady Follett's death meant the elderly cats were entitled to stay in the house until they died, even if Mr Rapkins died first.

"If Cats Protection can't carry out somebody's last wishes they just seem to me like vultures," Mr Simpson said. "They just see this as a lottery ticket.
"Everybody who knew George and Lady Follett knows that she wanted those cats to stop there."

Cats Protection says it is aware of no such agreement, that Mr Simpson has no legal right to be in the house and that it does not believe it is disregarding Lady Follett's wishes.

Today, it was seeking a possession order at Wandsworth County Court to evict Mr Simpson.

A spokeswoman for Cats Protection said: "Shortly after George Rapkins' death Mr Simpson moved into the property without the permission, licence or knowledge of Cats Protection and has refused to leave.

"We feel Lady Follett's wish to further cat welfare in this country will be best served by selling the house. Then we can use the funds to help cats and kittens around the UK."