After a four-day search and a string of phone calls, Nicola Matthews tracked down her cat to an RSPCA freezer.

The body of her pet, Wardy, had been kept there since RSPCA staff had picked him up after he was run over.

But, because of a mix-up, it took Miss Matthews four days to find her dead pet - when she went to the charity's centre in Patcham, Brighton, and looked at five cats in the freezer. One was Wardy.

Miss Matthews, 32, had made several calls to the RSPCA and vets in the area after the tabby disappeared.

When the charity finally confirmed the one-year-old cat had been killed, she was told no one knew where the body was.

At first it was thought he may still have been in the back of an RSPCA collection van.

It was later confirmed the cat had been at the centre all along.

Nicola, of Woodingdean, Brighton, said: "It was a nightmare. I didn't even know if he was alive or dead.

"I feel I've been pushed from pillar to post. It took them four days to tell me my cat was dead and then they didn't know where he was. We were all totally distraught."

Miss Matthews, who lives with her partner Russell Holt and five-year-old son Nathan, first noticed Wardy was not at home last Friday evening.

But as the cat often stayed out late at night, she did not start to worry until Sunday morning.

She phoned the RSPCA to ask if he had been picked up near their home in Kipling Avenue but was told no cat matching his description had been found in the area.

Miss Matthews, a driving instructor, visited nearby houses and put up posters to try to get information about her pet.

She then received a call from a neighbour to say a cat fitting Wardy's description had been run over in Falmer Road on Friday evening.

The RSPCA had been called and the cat, who was wearing a collar but no tag, had been taken away at about 9.30pm.

Nicola continued to call the RSPCA but was told there was no record of Wardy. The animal rescue officer who had been on duty on Friday was off sick.

On Tuesday, the charity confirmed Wardy had been picked up and that he was dead - although it was still not known where he was.

Nicola said: "The RSPCA said if Wardy was not with a vet he would be with the officer who was off sick.

"I asked if it was possible he could be in the back of the van and they said 'most probably'.

"But they said it was not their policy to comment until they had spoken to the officer."

In desperation, Miss Matthews went to the centre in Patcham, where staff checked freezers but still said no cat matched Wardy's description.

Then on Wednesday she received a call to say he was at the centre after all - and had been since Friday.

After looking at five cats, Nicola identified Wardy, who was still wearing his blue collar.

She said: "I appreciate the RSPCA is busy but the fact Wardy was there all the time is very upsetting."

An RSPCA spokeswoman expressed her sympathy to Nicola and confirmed Wardy had been put in the freezer on Friday.

She said the charity would not know why the information was not recorded until the animal collection officer returned to work.

The spokeswoman said: "Our officer acted in the best of faith. We have no obligation to pick up animals.

"He took the cat to the animal centre but there was some problem and the right information was not filed. It would normally have been recorded and updated on the system."

Miss Matthews said: "It was only through perseverance I found Wardy. I just hope no one else has to go through the same."