A curious cat had to be rescued after it clambered into a van's engine and got stuck.

Firefighters were called to the aid of the animal, which somehow got itself wedged in the engine of a van in Francis Road, Wallington, at about 10.30pm yesterday after a neighbour heard it wailing.

A fire service spokesman said: "The cat was well and truly stuck underneath the engine but above the drive shaft - he or she was not coming out.

"We could only see the back of the cat's head and we couldn't get to it so we jacked the van up and removed the sump cover to get at it and we were able to drag him or her out - although as soon as it saw all the firefighters and spectators it tried to go straight back in!"

Eventually the cat was taken away by its owner.

Firefighters said it is not unusual for cats to become stuck in car engines but that it usually happens in the winter when they are looking for somewhere warm.

The cat was not harmed.