Kitten rescued from M18 motorway near Doncaster

Smudge was rescued from the M18

A motorway was brought to a standstill as a traffic officer rescued a kitten stranded on the central reservation.

National Highways' Gavin Buffam spotted the tiny black feline between junctions six and seven on the M18 northbound near Doncaster on Saturday.

Motorists had called the emergency services after spotting the cat, prompting Mr Buffam to investigate.

Traffic was stopped with a rolling road block to allow him to collect the mog, who has now been named Smudge.

Smudge is being looked after by a relative of a National Highways worker

Mr Buffam, who described Smudge as "a feisty little thing", said: "I found it up against the concrete central reservation.

"I went to grab it but it ran off, so for my safety, the safety of road users and, of course, the kitten, another crew instigated a rolling road block to stop the traffic so I could try and get it.

"I eventually managed to scoop it up."

However, Smudge did not appear immediately grateful.

"Once it was in the car, it tried to bite my fingers a few times," Mr Buffam said

Once settled, Smudge was taken to the agency's depot. It was then taken to the home of one of Mr Buffam's colleagues who cleaned it and fed it.

It will be taken to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to check for a microchip in an attempt to reunite it with its owner, said Mr Buffam.

If Smudge is confirmed to be male, it will be renamed Little Gav, after its rescuer.