Cat rescued from 15ft Whittlesey drain

'Naughty Norman' was eventually coaxed out by fire crews

A cat has been rescued after getting stuck in a 15ft (4.5m) drain.

Norman, a grey moggy, found himself in a spot of bother deep beneath a road in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday night.

Fire crews used chimney rodding equipment to entice the furry feline out during the two-hour rescue mission.

The cat's owner Rosie Saunders said his rescuers were "fantastic" and added: "Naughty Norman is now sleeping it all off at home."

Norman's adventure caused his owner a bit of embarrassment

Attempts were made to rescue Norman before the fire service was called

She and her partner went out to look for Norman when he failed to turn up for his tea at their home in Dandelion Drive at about 18:00 BST.

"We were calling him and I heard mewing, looked down a grill to a drain, and I could see his little face," Miss Saunders said.

Norman had been "a little worried" after causing all the drama, his owner said

They believe their pet chased something into an uncovered pipe that leads to a dyke, and then got stuck.

"We used everything we could to get him out - we crowbarred up the grill, and tried to push him along with a hosepipe, but he kept running back."

'That bloomin' cat'

After about an hour they gave in and called Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service.

"I've never had to ring 999 in my life before, and the first time I do, it's for a bloomin' cat stuck down a drain - I was so embarrassed," said Miss Saunders.

A spokesman for the fire service said the local on-call crew had "purrrrformed the pawfect rescue", after Norman "found himself stuck in a deep drain".

"The crew did a great job making use of the equipment we have in an innovative way to ensure Norman was rescued safely in front of a watching crowd of neighbours," watch commander Kev Gilbert said.

Crews safely brought Norman back to the surface

Since being pulled to safety, "naughty Norman" had spent much of the time sleeping somewhat sheepishly beneath a footstool, said Miss Saunders.

"He's so tired - I think he worried himself a bit," she added.

Thanking the crew for rescuing him, she said: "We really appreciate everything they did for us last night - thank you."