BERTIE the ginger tom was the toast of his owners today for foiling thieves who struck in the dead of night.

The intrepid "guard cat" smelled a rat as theives raided thousands of pounds of Yorkshire slate from the roof of a 700-year-old former farm complex.

Bertie - who originally came from a cat rescue centre - miaowed to be let out as thieves were three quarters of the way through stripping slates from the garage roof at the historic White House restaurant and pub.

Elaine and Rob Lawrence, who own the business on scenic Baildon Moor, near Hawksworth, are convinced the thieves fled when they opened a window to let Bertie out.

Mrs Lawrence said they thought Berte was being a nuisance and wanted to answer a call of nature.

But they realised when they saw the roof that the raiders must have been disturbed when they opened the window.

The district has suffered repeated raids in the past of valuable Yorkshire stone and slate, which goes for big prices in the building market.

In some cases people have got up in the morning to find their pavements have vanished after being dug up by professional gangs.

Mr and Mrs Lawrence, who have notified Shipley police, say the raiders must have had a lorry to carry off their haul.

The White House is used increasingly by stars and extras as film

companies turn to the moors

locations.

And Bertie has become a firm favourite with visitors because of his friendly attitude.

A police spokeswoman asked people to be on the lookout for raiders taking Yorkshire slate and stone.

She added that the raids sometimes happened in broad daylight where the thieves wore workmen's clothes and pretended the work they were doing was above board.

The spokesman appealed for anyone who came across people buying or selling the material in suspicious circumstances to get in touch.