Statue of much-loved station cat is unveiled

Jess was a resident at Andover train station until his death in October 2022

A sculpture commemorating a well-loved cat who lived at a railway station has been unveiled.

The statue of Jess, who was a resident at Andover station until his death in October 2023, now sits on the counter in its booking hall.

It has been created by sculptor Amy Goodman, artist in residence at Winchester University, who has also been commissioned by Test Valley Borough Council to create a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Ticket office clerk Tracey Jones said she was "really excited" about the unveiling.

Jess would often be found snoozing in the ticket office

Originally thought to be female, the black and white cat was named Jessica by staff when he first began visiting the area 13 years ago after his owner abandoned him.

He was looked after by staff the station until his death in October.

Described as "gentle" and "loving", Jess spent most of his time roaming the platforms, keeping passengers company while they waited for the next stage of their journeys.

The statue of Jess the cat sits on a counter in the station's booking hall

The statue sits on the counter in the station's booking hall, where Jess spent "quite a lot" of time, Ms Jones said.

She said the purpose of the statue was to be "something there that represents him".

"Everyone misses him so much," she said.

"No matter what sort of day you were having, you could see him and it would automatically brighten your day... everyone was devastated when he died."

The sculpture was created by sculptor Amy Goodman, artist in residence at Winchester University

She said she loved the sculpture that Ms Goodman had created.

"I really do think it looks like him," she said. "I hope other people love it as much as I do."