David Cameron promises to 'double security' around Larry the cat after Crufts poisoning scandal

The Prime Minister described the alleged murder of Jagger as 'unbelievably awful'

Larry, the Downing Street cat. (James Glossop - WPA Pool | Getty Images)

David Cameron has reassured the nation by vowing to "double security" around Larry, the Downing Street cat, following the poisoning scandal that has engulfed Crufts.

The prime minister described the alleged murder of the award-winning Irish setter Jagger as an “unbelievably awful thing to do”. His owners claimed their pet died after eating beef laced with poison and Kennel Club, the Crufts organisers, confirmed they were investigating claims that up to six more dogs were poisoned.

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However Mr Cameron isn’t too worried about the safety of his own pet. Not only is he protected by armed guards and security gates, he is too lazy to get himself in any danger, according to his owner.

“As for Larry, he doesn’t get up and get out much so I think he’s probably pretty safe sitting on the chair in the hallway watching the world go by,” Mr Cameron told Heart radio. Nevertheless he pledged to “double the security around him and make sure he’s ok.”

Sympathising with fellow pet-owners, he said: “As a dog and cat lover myself, your heart goes out to a family that’s seen that happening. I remember listening to the owner on the radio talking about the toxicology report and how they’d found lumps of meat that had poison in. And you think, who would go to such a length? Who would do that? What an unbelievably awful thing to do.”

Larry, an eight-year-old white and brown tabby cat, was brought into Downing Street from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to catch mice. He was described at the time of his arrival as having a “very strong predatory drive” but questions will be raised over Larry’s future in Number 10 following Mr Cameron’s lethargic depiction of him.