Cat rescued from sewage works tank in West Lothian

The neutered black and white male cat is now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA in Edinburgh

A cat which fell 20 feet into a tank at a West Lothian sewage works has been rescued in an operation involving firefighters and animal rescue staff.

Paul Lacki, a worker at the Armadale plant, raised the alarm after hearing the animal's cries on Wednesday.

Firefighters climbed down a ladder into the tank and coaxed the cat into a cage, which was then hoisted up.

It is thought he may have been trapped for a while and could have drowned if rain had caused the tank water to rise.

The neutered black and white male cat is now being cared for at the charity's Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Balerno, where he has been nicknamed Fireman Sam.

The charity is keen to find his owner.

Animal rescue officer Steph Grant said: "It's a 20 foot drop, so there's no way he would have been able to get back out on his own.

Firefighters clambered down a ladder into the tank and coaxed the cat into a cage, which was then hoisted up to safety

"Heavy rain would have caused the water in the tank to rise and Sam would have drowned, so although he may not feel very fortunate he has had a lucky escape.

"The firemen were able to climb down and get Sam into a cage and back up to ground level.

"We'd like to express our sincere thanks to the fire service and Paul for their fantastic efforts throughout this rescue. We're extremely grateful for all their help.

"Sam is underweight, indicating he may have been down there a while, though for how long we don't know. Other than this, he seems to be in good health.

"We're now hoping we can reunite Sam with his owner and we're sure they won't believe it when they hear where he's been.

"If no one comes forward we'll find him a loving new home."