ANIMAL hunters still searching for Aberdeenshire singer Sandi Thom’s cat today said they cannot rule out foul play.

A massive operation was launched to find Toots – the puss belonging to Aberdeenshire singer Sandi Thom has been missing for more than three weeks.

Aberdeenshire chart-topper Sandi Thom called in the professionals after friendly feline Toots disappeared.

Former West Midlands police officer Tom Watkins, who formed Animal Search UK almost 10 years ago, is in charge of the hunt.

He and two others from the pet-finding agency travelled to Edzell last week to search for Toots.

He said: “We have put up more than 500 posters, e-mailed every rescue centre in the UK, organised a number of searches of the local area and carried out door-to-door inquiries. The local rambling club in Edzell very kindly agreed to carry out a search for Sandi Thom’s cat, as did the members of an Edzell cycling club.

“It is possible that there could be an element of foul play involved but we have no direct evidence of that at the moment.”

Macduff-born Sandi Thom is currently in the US for the South by Southwest 2009 event in Austin, Texas.

But on her latest online blog the Aberdeenshire star said: “So, my beloved kitty Toots still hasn’t showed up. I'm so lost without her.”

Earlier this month the Evening Express revealed Toots went missing from Sandi Thom’s mum’s home at Edzell. She had been caring for he animal after it failed to settle when the Aberdeenshire singer moved from London to Brighton last year.

Sandi Thom is offering a reward of £1,000 for the safe return of Toots.

groberts@ajl.co.uk