28 November 2023 , 16:10
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A cat banned by Tesco from visiting his favourite store has now got fans travelling hours to see him flouting the rules.
Shoppers were left fuming after the ginger feline, nicknamed ‘Lincoln the Tesco cat,’ was told he wasn’t allowed in the Hornsea branch any more. His local MP Graham Stuart even launched a ‘Justice for Lincoln’ petition, writing to Tesco’s CEO and collecting around 500 signatures calling for the store to relent.
Commenting, Graham said "It’s not right that Lincoln has been removed from his perch atop the compost at Tesco in Hornsea. He’s not hurting anyone and he brings joy to the community; that’s why I have launched a petition calling for the reversal of this unfair ban."
The six-year-old former RSPC kitten’s Tesco addiction started more than three years ago. His owners were given a collar tracker and were shocked to see where he was spending most of his time.
But Lincoln was recently banned from sitting on the compost in the store because of "health and safety" concerns. However Lincoln has been ignoring his ban and is proving a magnet for customers.
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"Lincoln the Tesco cat" has amassed a worldwide fan followingOne lady travelled almost two hours from Nottingham to East Yorkshire to get a glimpse last week and has 3,000 followers on social media, some living as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. Lincoln’s owner Lorraine Clarke 52, said: “It’s gone absolutely crazy.
"We found out last week a lady had travelled from Nottingham to see Lincoln. He’s got fans worldwide. And he’s got his own cat charity calendar. Tesco's stance still is that he’s not welcome and will be ushered out if he goes in. But you can’t tell a cat not to go somewhere."
"He never goes into the store, just the foyer which is a thoroughfare and that’s where he stays. Despite the ban he still goes into the foyer and some of the staff who love him to bits will see him and leave him to it.”
Lorraine, who is married to Kris Clarke, 50, added: "We shop in the store and people see us fussing over him and ask ‘are you Lincoln’s owners?’. We’ll have to start wearing dark glasses when I go out," she joked. "It sounds daft but he helps people who have anxieties and children who struggle. Seeing him helps a lot of people. "
When they check his tracker their pet is often in Tesco, in their car park or the little orchard attached to the store. She said: "He favours one or two bushes. Sometimes he sits outside the first aid centre based in Tesco car park. I think he knows he does good.
"He has his limits, sometimes people say he swiped a little bit but that’s his way of saying ‘no I don’t want a fuss at the moment. He's not just a cat, he cheers people up and relaxes people."