IN MARCH 1987 the Standard Standard reported the heroics of quick-thinking 11-year-old Karl Hicks from Cricklade, who saved a cat from drowning in the river Thames.

Karl had the day off school and took a wander down to the river at about 2pm when he saw a cardboard box fall into the river.

He looked up to see a woman in sunglasses standing on Cricklade Town Bridge shouting, “And don’t come back,” before driving off with a man in a blue car. 

Realising the poor animal had been thrown from the bridge and abandoned he jumped into the water to save the young cat.

After saving the cat, a two-year-old ginger tom, Karl cycled home and took him to the vets in Purton with his mother, Mrs Margaret Hicks.

Karl said: “It was lucky I had the day off school and was down by the river. I’d like to see them towed out to sea, left to swim home and see how they like it.”

Happily the cat, Pebbles, was eventually returned to its owners, the Grey family of Hallsfield in Cricklade who said they immediately recognised him in photo appeals. 

She said Pebbles had only been missing for a few days and was prone to straying but they were still perplexed as to what really happened with the other ‘owners’.

Meanwhile Karl, who had planned to keep Pebbles, was in touch with the RSPCA about getting a cat of his own.