Fox with head stuck in plastic bottle rescued in Portsmouth

The fox needed stitches to its neck as a result of struggling to get free of the bottle

A fox found with its head stuck in a plastic bottle has been freed.

The animal was discovered hiding in a corner at Wimborne Junior School in Portsmouth on 10 July.

RSPCA animal collection officers managed to release the "terrified" male from the bottle and it was given stitches before being released back into the wild on Tuesday.

The charity has warned of the dangers posed by litter, which can injure or kill wildlife.

'Terrible state'

A member of the public alerted the RSPCA to the fox's plight and officer Katie Wood carried out the rescue.

She said: "This poor fox was really struggling to free himself and was terrified, so I knew I had to act quickly to catch him and bring him to safety.

"His neck had swollen and [he] had three deep lacerations on the neck and head from where he'd been desperately trying to remove the broken plastic bottle, but there was no way he was going to pull himself free without help.

"Thankfully he was found before it was too late."

The fox was discovered hiding in the corner of a school in Portsmouth

The fox was cleaned and stitched up by a vet and spent several days recovering at one of the charity's centres.

Ms Wood said: "I had the honour of releasing the fox back very close by where he was found.

"It was lovely to be able to see it the whole way through to him going back to where he belongs... after being found in such a terrible state."

Adam Grogan, head of the RSPCA's wildlife team, said: "Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today.

"I'm sure for every animal we're able to help there are many that go unseen, unreported and may even lose their lives."