Pets often hold a cherished place in our lives and occasionally, in our cemeteries too.

Some are loved not just by their owners, but by the wider community. One such feline was Tiddles.

Tiddles the tabby cat became a well-known figure at St Mary the Virgin Church in Fairford, Gloucestershire. From 1963 until her death in 1980, she was a familiar sight and helped keep the church mice at bay.

She often joined the congregation and was particularly close to the verger and his wife. She was known to curl up on the knees of parishioners.

When she died, local stonemason Peter Juggins felt she deserved a proper memorial. He carved a stone to mark her grave, just by the church entrance. The memorial was a likeness of Tiddles, carefully capturing her appearance.

Remarkably, in 2006 another cat also named Tiddles began visiting the church.

This stray wasn’t permitted inside and made her home in the church porch. Dubbed ‘Tiddles 2’, she was well fed and often found basking in the sun. In 2009, her health began to decline.

As winter approached, she was taken in by a churchgoer. She spent her final year there, warm and well cared for. In 2010, church members noticed her decline. She died soon after.

Parishioners donated towards her vet’s bill, a small gesture that showed just how fondly she was remembered.

Both Tiddles and Tiddles 2 are remembered by parishioners to this day.