A RESCUE centre is racing to save more than 50 cats from the home of mentally ill woman in case they are put down.

It has 25 cats from the woman's home but it needs to re-home them so it has space to take in around 35 more which are still on site The woman, from Speke, is due to be taken into care at a mental health hospital in around two weeks and any cats left over face being destroyed.

Mel Roberts, from Cat Rescue in Sandy Lane, Bold Heath, near Great Sankey, said: "She has got a very serious mental disorder. We think that's why she collected the cats. She took in every stray from the area.

"All the ones we have are black and white apart from three. They are proving difficult to re-home. They are all aged over eight months and under two years. Everyone wants a kitten."

Mel, aged 46, who lives at the rescue in Hayfields Farm, said: "They are house trained. They are lovely cats. We spay, castrates, vaccinate, worm and treat them all for fleas."