Two lost kittens found by a police patrol wandering the streets of London’s East End at night have been nicknamed Bolt and Blake because they mimic the Olympic champs.

One of the officers on patrol from Tower Hamlets Response Unit found the strays while on patrol in Limehouse the day after Jamaica’s Usain Bolt ran the second fastest 100m time in history at 9.63 seconds, just ahead of his team-mate Yohan Blake.

“We saw the kittens running in the road at 3.30am,” she explained.

“They’re adorable and all the officers were cuddling them. They will make fantastic pets.”

She took them home to keep safe, then drove in her own time down to Battersea Dogs and Cats home’s centre in Kent where they are now being looked after.

Battersea welfare assistant Sharon Weller said: “We noticed the kittens flying across their cat pen at warp speed and pulling some rather familiar poses.

“They started doing Bolt’s and Blake’s famous poses, so we knew they had to be named after them.

“The kittens are very fast on their paws and are real jokers that love to lark about.”

The animal home has been looking after the kittens for more than a week after they were found on August 6, without managing to trace the owner. No-one has claimed them, so staff are now looking for a good home for them.

Battersea’s three centres currently have around 40 animals named after Team GB’s golden champs. They include a homeless Bulldog nicknamed Jess, after Jessica Ennis.

Their pictures are on Battersea’s Facebook page at http://ow.ly/cYVnQ