When Francis the cat bent back the bars of his cage and made off into the night, his carers thought it would be the last they would see of the huge tom.

Wanted signs were pinned to tree trunks and gardens were scoured but the frisky feline appeared to have gone for good, leaving his six-month-old daughter behind.

Exactly a year later, he dragged himself back to the Worthing Cat Welfare Trust centre in Findon from where he had escaped.

However, he was a changed cat. He appeared to have been run-over and couldn't use his back legs so the seven-year-old moggy is having acupuncture to restore him back to his old self.

His carers have hailed him a miracle - he was the first cat to escape from their centre in ten years and the first ever to return.

They will never know what adventures he had in his lost year.

Trustee Iris Green said: "When he came to us a year ago he was an unneutered tom and we wanted him and his daughter Frieda to go to a foster home. But he was used to his freedom.

"While he was in the enclosure waiting to be homed he got out with terrific strength by bending back the metal bars.

"His daughter, who was in the same pen, stayed where she was.

"We never thought we would get him back. We put notices up and were looking for him for six months.

"A year later, he was seen dragging himself around a garden next to the centre. It wasn't until he was hurt that he came back.

"He is quite a character.

"When he was away he could have been scavenging to survive.

"Cats are very able to look after themselves. They revert back to the wild."

He is now staying at the home of Liz Groves from Goring, who is nursing him back to health.

He has regular visits to veterinary surgeon Jonathon Horrocks, of Northdale practice in Victoria Road, Worthing, who puts needles in Francis' back and sends electric pulses through them to stimulate muscle regrowth.

Mrs Groves said: "I used to look after him at the centre before he ran away so I was delighted when he came back. It is unbelievable.

"When I first saw him again he was in a very sorry state but the acupuncture is really helping him.

"He seems to enjoy it and finds it relaxing.

"He is very good and just dozes off while the needles do their work."

The surgery is having an open day on August 4, from 11am to 3pm, where information will be given about pet acupuncture.