A WEBSITE dedicated to helping cats has been awarded a prize by The Northern Echo.

The Wear Valley, Darlington and Dales Cats' Protection Branch site - at www.communigate.co.uk/ne/catsprotection - has won our CommuniGate team's Pick of the Month for January.

The site, designed and run by volunteer website co-ordinator Marion Maychell, is packed with useful information for cat owners.

CommuniGate web editor Andrew Hutton said: "The site is excellent. It contains lots of details about the work of the organisation, their aims, volunteers, cat care and health, photos of cats and information on how to give a rescued cat a new home."

Mr Hutton was so impressed on his visit that he decided to take in a rescue cat himself.

"I was very taken by a five-month-old male cat called Sid and decided to offer him a home. He was part of a litter of kittens which were found with their mother in a derelict building a few months ago and rescued."

Mr Hutton presented Ms Maychell with a pair of digital binoculars, provided by Darlington-based sponsor Sales & Marketing Services.