NO one ever knew where Sid came from, he just appeared a couple of days after 17th Century Pinchinthorpe Hall opened as a hotel.

The black cat simply adopted the former manor house ten years ago, turning up un-announced whenever there was a wedding and crossing the happy couple's path right on cue.

Guests grew to love the friendly cat, who could often be found curled up in a contented ball in the sun somewhere in the gardens on lazy summer evenings.

Staff, who adopted Sid as the hotel mascot, cut a small hole in a shed so he could snuggle up inside in the dry during bad weather.

Sid became so popular that wedding couples even started insisting he should appear in their official photographs.

George Tinsley, who owns the hotel, near Guisborough, east Cleveland, believes Sid has appeared at about 40 weddings over the years.

Sadly, the hotel is looking for another black cat to carry on the tradition after Sid was knocked down on the busy A173, which skirts the hotel grounds.

Head gardener David Richardson, who trained Sid to be a "great mouser", dug a grave for him and marked it with a cross.

Mr Tinsley said: "People would come and see him and he always knew when something was going on. He might be half a mile away, but as soon as we had a farmers' market or a wedding, he would pop up.

"He loved being with people and the attention. He never scratched or bit anyone, but just loved being with them.

"He was probably about six months old when he first came to us. No one knows where he came from or went off to.

"He sometimes lived in the summer house, sometimes he used to curl up on a nice warm spot in the garden on a warm evening. Sometimes he lay on the compost heap because it was warm. Sometimes he lived in the greenhouse.

"He had all these little places he knew he could get into. He had a little hole cut for him underneath one of the sheds. He could go into there.

"There was a wood store and he liked to get among the wood. He saw off the mice outside, which meant we never had any mice inside.

"People here are so upset I have to try to somehow get another black one."

Anyone who knows of a black kitten that could take Sid's place has been asked to call Mr Richardson on (01287) 630200.

* Did you have your wedding photos taken with Sid? If so, call The Northern Echo newsdesk on (01325) 505065.