Liverpool kitten survives 55-mile trip in van's engine

The RSPCA said Ringo the kitten is "an extremely vocal little guy" after he was found meowing in a van's engine

A driver who accidentally drove a five-week-old kitten from Liverpool to Newcastle-under-Lyme in his van's engine has said he "just could not believe" it survived the trip.

Dwayne Ofoeme found the cat, which has been named Ringo, after hearing it when he stopped at the end of his 55-mile (88.5km) trip on Monday.

An RSPCA inspector helped him rescue the oily feline from his van.

The charity said despite the long journey, Ringo was "doing well".

A spokeswoman said it was thought the 1.3lbs (600g) stowaway had climbed into the van as it left the Aigburth area of Liverpool on Monday morning.

'Such a character'

The telecoms engineer said he and his colleagues "immediately heard meowing" as soon as they stopped in Staffordshire, but "thought it was just a cat under the van".

"I got underneath to see exactly where the noise was coming from and spotted a kitten," he said.

"I couldn't believe it.

"He was really scared and I tried for a long time to try and reach him but he just wouldn't come out, so we decided to call the RSPCA."

He added that Ringo "was such a character and we're so pleased he's OK".

The charity said Ringo was checked for a microchip, but was thought to be too young to have one

RSPCA inspector Jackie Hickman said despite "his diminutive size, Ringo was an extremely vocal little guy".

"His little paws were oily and he was extremely hungry, but otherwise in good health," she said.

"How he's managed to cling to the undercarriage of the van for so long, I will never know."

She said the cat had been checked by a vet and was "definitely not a feral kitten".

"He's very young to be away from his mum," she said.

"If someone recognises Ringo and thinks he might be their missing pet, we would ask them to contact us."

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]