Cat killed by speeding car in suburb blighted by 'selfish' drivers
Eleven-month-old Tommy was hit by a speeding driver in Marl Pit on June 5. - Credit: Paul Bish
A man who has spent more than a decade campaigning for better road safety in Norwich has seen his beloved pet killed by a speeding driver.
Paul Bish's family cat Tommy was run over and left for dead in Marl Pit this week.
The Jex Road man has spent the past 12 years pleading for speed bumps to be installed throughout the estate.
Tommy first came into Paul's life when he found a stray Russian Blue cat in his garden.
Paul, who is a plasterer, said: “We checked for a chip but she was a stray so we took her in.
“When we went to get her spayed, we learned she was pregnant.
"That’s when Tommy and his sisters Misty and Stripey came into our lives.”
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Dad-of-two Paul said his sons, aged 10 and 13, formed a close bond with Tommy who never strayed far from home.
But on June 5 the beloved cat - who was less than a year old - was found beneath a car in Jex Road at around 4.30pm.
Paul, 40, said: “There is no way the car that hit him was travelling at 20mph.
“Drivers use the estate as a cut through and they often travel so much faster than the speed limit.
“What makes it worse is that the driver didn’t even try to help Tommy.
"People watched as the driver stopped, reversed a little and then drove off again.”
The two witnesses to the accident live on the road and rushed Tommy to Taverham Vets.
Unfortunately his injuries were too extensive and he died on June 6.
Paul said: “My wife Laura was there when Tommy was born in our home - she is distraught.
"Our children are asking why the person who hit him didn’t try to help him.”
Paul and his family are hopeful that the person who hit Tommy will come forward.
He added that Tommy's case "proves" the need for more road safety measures in the area, adding the accident could have seen a person hit.
“Norwich is becoming more built up with more people driving around.
"We need to all stop being selfish, we are not the only ones living in the habitat,” he added.