A SMALL kitten was rescued from the engine of a van after crawling inside to keep warm and getting stuck.

The animal, which is only a few weeks old, wedged itself inside the Renault Kangoo van on Gannow Lane, Rosegrove, Burnley, on Saturday morning.

Fortunately the owner of the van heard the kitten and tried to coax it out for several hours.

At 2pm he contacted the RSPCA, who in turn rang the fire service.

They arrived just after 3pm and spent 45 minutes dismantling the engine compartment, taking out the battery and radiator Nelson watch manager Nigel Bowden said: "We could just about make out a tuft of fur, managed to get it out and then put the engine back together.

"It's probably the smallest kitten we've ever rescued. It's just a good job the van owner heard it before he started the engine."

The kitten was alive and well and taken away by the RSPCA to try and trace its owner.

The incident came as figures revealed Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spent £281,000 in the past three years on animal rescues.