WITH his ginger sidekick perched on his shoulder, a reformed drug addict shows the true meaning of Christmas.

Bob the cat joined his owner, James Bowen, to sign copies of his new book, ‘A Gift From Bob’, which chronicles the last Christmas the pair spent together on the cold streets of the capital.

The duo met in an abandoned hallway of Mr Bowen’s sheltered accommodation in London six years ago.

After nursing the injured stray back to health, Mr Bowen didn’t think he would see the cat again, but the newly christened Bob had other ideas, and the two embarked on a friendship that transformed their lives.

As with his previous two books, ‘A Gift From Bob’, takes place in London and focuses on the feline’s positive influence in changing his life, during a particularly difficult Christmas.

He said: "Until Bob came along I’d been a hopeless cause. I was probably extremely lucky to be alive. Bob has given me a new life, a new life that was full of happiness and hope."

The pair signed copies at Chapter One Books in Woodley on Thursday. ‘A Gift From Bob’ is priced at £12.99.