Larry the Cat has outlasted six British prime ministers with Keir Starmer's resignation

Larry the Cat, Chief Mouser at 10 Downing Street since 2011, has now outlasted six prime ministers including David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Elizabeth Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.

The UK's most famous cat marked 15 years in February as the country's chief mouser patrolling the corridors of power around number 10 Downing Street.

Recruited to deal with a rodent problem, Larry arrived at the prime minister's official residence on February 15, 2011.

He was adopted from the renowned London animal shelter, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, when he was believed to be about four years old. David Cameron was prime minister at the time.

Since then, the white and tabby cat, officially introduced on Downing Street's website as the "Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office", has reigned supreme from the country's most photographed doorstep.

His official biography on the Downing Street website says apart from rodent control: "Larry spends his days greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences and testing antique furniture for napping quality."

He has lived through six prime ministers, from Cameron to Keir Starmer, weathered the storms of Brexit, Covid-19, the chaos of "partygate," Liz Truss's 49‑day whirlwind occupation, and the more orderly months under Rishi Sunak.

Nothing seems to ruffle his fur as this political veteran glides from crisis to crisis with feline calm, and the lick of a paw.

A media darling, Larry, who is now believed to be around 19, often steals the spotlight from visiting foreign leaders.