THIS miracle moggy needed as many of its nine lives intact as possible to survive a nerve-wracking 300-mile journey nestled in the engine of a car.

The male kitten, a grey tabby only ten weeks old, was heard miaowing from under the bonnet of a car which had just been driven from York to Carlisle and back - via Manchester.

The driver did not how or at what stage in his journey the cat had crawled into the engine.

Sue Edmond, who is among RSPCA officers caring for the kitten, said the cat was now safely installed at the animal home in Landing Lane, Clifton.

She said: "He's fine. He was just hungry and a bit distressed because he was miaowing a lot. But he has no injuries."

Sue had more good news as she said that a cat rescued from under Clifton Bridge on Friday was now back home with its owner.

The Evening Press made an appeal to find the owner after firefighters and RSPCA officers recovered the cat from a drainage hole on a support beam in the River Ouse.

PICTURE: Sue Edmond shows the kitten that was found in a car engine after it had made a 300-mile journey Picture: David Harrison