A cat and five tiny kittens were trapped inside a sealed suitcase full of clothes and abandoned by their owner as temperatures soared into the 80s.
Two children, aged 12 and 15, were approached by a man and asked to look after the suitcase outside the PDSA Pet Hospital in Baltic Avenue, Southend.
Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL
When the man failed to return, the older child looked inside and discovered the cats, as Southend Borough Patrol officers came to investigate.
The kittens are believed to be just three-weeks-old.
Patrol officer Shirley Morris described the man who abandoned the animals as a "despicable individual" - especially after the news that one of the kittens had sadly died.
The kittens and their mother now require homes.
Anyone willing to home one of them is asked to call 01702 601555.
Published Wednesday, August 6, 2003
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