You might have heard the one about the cat stuck in a tree, but what about a kitten wedged in a drainpipe?

A four-week-old kitten, who has not yet been named by its owner, fell from a second-storey window and got stuck in a drain on the roof of a house, in Southchurch Avenue, Southend.

Lucky to be alive - the kitten gets a cuddle from owner Brandie Neale and Kane, four Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

Owner Brandie Neale said: "All three of my kittens were up there but with the help of a friend we managed to get two back inside, but the third one rolled down the roof into the gutter.

"They must have got out through a bedroom window. The firefighters were great. What they did was really beyond the call of their normal duty."

Officers used a 13 metre ladder to reach the stricken feline, who fell into the gutter at around 2pm on Saturday.

After a delicate operation the young cat was brought to safety.

For the firefighters who took part in the rescue, the cliche may come back to haunt them. Station officer Peter Bennett, said: "There has been a bit of ribbing for the lads involved in the rescue with all the usual jibes. It may come as a surprise but we do not really deal with that many cats stuck up trees in Southend, so this raised a bit of a laugh at the station."

Published Monday, April 14, 2003

Brought to you by the Evening Echo