A woman who sued the pet rescue centre which rehomed her silver tabby with a new owner was yesterday awarded just £1 in damages.

Susie Wainman put in a claim for £320 to cover court costs and the distress caused to her when moggy Saffie was placed with another family.

Yesterday a judge ruled in her favour - but made it clear he was forced to because of a "vacuum" in the law covering the case.

Judge John Robinson also awarded Mrs Wainman £60 to cover her costs.

But he explained that under the law the silver tabby had to be classed as goods belonging to Mrs Wainman as if the cat were "a washing machine".

The courtroom catfight unfolded when Saffie went missing from her home in Brighton, Sussex, before Christmas.

She was picked up by Michael and Jane Tully of the Fiveways Cat Rescue Centre who, thinking she was a stray, rehomed her.

A legal battle then developed between Mrs Wainman and Mr and Mrs Tully. However, it appeared to have been resolved after Saffie's new owners agreed to return her to Mrs Wainman.

But then Mrs Wainman made a compensation claim for distress, which was met by a counter claim by the Tullys for the cost of spaying the cat, inserting a microchip and inoculations.

Giving his ruling at Brighton County Court, Judge Robinson told the Tullys that legally they didn't have a leg to stand on.

He said: "I'm quite satisfied you believed it was a stray and took it in on that basis but legally it counts as a trespass to goods so there has been a breach of property rights.

"But in this most unusual case we are not talking about a washing machine, we are talking about an animal."

Summing up he said: "The defendants do a wonderful job for the community. They need money for work, not for court costs, and the law leaves them exposed to this sort of hearing."

The Tullys' counterclaim for £124 was dismissed after they agreed to drop their case.

Mrs Wainman said: "I am a little disappointed at the outcome but it was not about the money in the first place.

"I just wanted people who pick up supposedly stray cats to think twice about finding them new homes without making efforts to trace the owner."