Workers at a Selby warehouse almost had kittens when they opened a freight container imported from Turkey to find a stowaway cat.

The emaciated animal began leaping about, desperate for food and water, after a four-week journey by ship and road.

Sadly, the migrant moggie did not find a new home in North Yorkshire. A vet was called to put the animal to sleep because it presented a rabies risk.

The Turkish visitor was discovered at the unloading bay of a warehouse belonging to the Potter Group, of Barlby Road, on Friday.General manager Peter Kempson said the animal was in good condition despite its ordeal.

"It was a bit thin but seemed in fairly reasonable condition. It was leaping about quite a bit," he said.

"When our people went into the container to start unloading they identified movement so they sealed it and made a careful inspection to see if they could identify what it was."

Staff alerted the RSPCA and trading standards officers acting on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Mr Kempson added: "We do not know how it survived. There was no food or water. The materials inside would not harm the animal but would certainly not sustain it."

North Yorkshire County Council trading standards officer Graham Venn said the cat was humanely destroyed at the warehouse.

"The landing of the cat was an illegal landing, in breach of rabies controls," he said.

"It could not have gone into six months' quarantine as it was feral and would have torn itself to pieces in a cage.

"It had probably wondered into the freight container in Turkey unbeknown to the port workers.

"Fortunately, the workers here kept it sealed. The best thing to do was to order its humane destruction."

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