ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

A group of cat-lovers has redecorated an entire south London Tube station by replacing adverts with pictures of cats.

Commuters passing through Clapham Common station today stopped to marvel at the posters after campaigners raised £23,000 on a crowd-funding website to give the station a makeover.

The group – called the Citizens Advertising Takeover Service, or CATS for short - said they want to give passengers a break from the constant advertising on the underground.

After launching in April they raised thousands to pay for the idea of replacing all adverts with cat photos – and today unveiled the new-look station.

Cats at Clapham Common London Underground 6 show all Cats at Clapham Common London Underground 1/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 2/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 3/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 4/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 5/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 6/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 1/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 2/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 3/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 4/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 5/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA 6/6 A passenger passes some of over 60 adverts in Clapham Common underground station, London Dominic Lipinski/PA

All 68 adverts in the station have been replaced with the photos which feature stray cats from two rescue charities, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Cats Protection.

One of the posters shows cats sent in by members of the public, who each donated £100 to make their pet famous.

One of the cat’s owners, Randy Cepuch, even flew in from the United States to see his cat’s face in lights.

Organiser James Turner said: “We hope people will enjoy being in the station and maybe think a bit differently about the world around them.

“Instead of asking you to buy something, we’re asking you to think about what’s really valuable in your life. It might not be cats, but it’s probably something you can’t find in the shops.”

The idea came from Glimpse, a group of people which say they “aim to use creativity for good”.

The head of catteries at Battersea, Lindsey Quinlan, said: “We’re thrilled that Battersea cats are among the stars of these posters.

“We care for over 3,000 rescue cats a year, so hopefully this campaign will encourage lots more people to visit our centres and consider rehoming our fantastic felines.”

But commuters who prefer dogs to cats need not despair, as the group are already planning its next advertising takeover and are inviting people to submit ideas – with dogs as the from.

“Research shows that cats are good for the health and happiness of people of all ages, whether it’s providing fun, love or companionship”, said Guy Chadwick, who works for Cats Protection as a development manager.

“Cats are also independent and can fit into a range of lifestyles so we hope anyone who sees the posters will adopt one of our thousands of unwanted cats.”

The head of catteries at Battersea, Lindsey Quinlan, said: “We’re thrilled that Battersea cats are among the stars of these posters.

“We care for over 3,000 rescue cats a year, so hopefully this campaign will encourage lots more people to visit our centres and consider rehoming our fantastic felines.”