One of the biggest cats in Britain has been put on a diet.

Tinks, from Walderslade, weighs almost twice as much as a normal cat.

The 1st 6lb (9.1kg) pet, who belongs to 73-year-old Bruce Brine, has been named as one of the nation’s fattest pets by veterinary charity PDSA and been put on a 100-day diet and fitness programme.

When he started the course four weeks ago he weighed 1st 7lb (9.5kg).

Adopted six years ago, Tinks was even bigger when Mr Brine took him in, weighing more then 1st 10lb (10.9kg).

Mr Brine said: “Tinks was our neighbourhood cat. He was fed by about four different people in our street so he was never short of a meal or four.

"He is a gorgeous, lovely natured cat but he isn’t in the best of health and spends more and more of his time asleep now.

“He is a member of our family and I want him to be around for many years to come, that’s why I decided to take part in Pet Fit Club.”

Supporters can follow Tinks’s progress towards fitness at www.pdsa.org.uk/petfitclub and can even sponsor his weight-loss efforts by visiting www.justgiving.com/PDSAPetFitClubTinks