A TRAPPED tabby cat was rescued by firefighters in Maldon - on International Cat Day.

The large feline had managed to squeeze itself into a three-inch gap between two garages - and then got wedged halfway down.

Residents of Dorset Road, Maldon, alerted Essex Fire and Rescue Service to the feline's distress today (Saturday 8 August) just after 11.30am - after realising it had been unable to get out for up to 24 hours.

The service's Urban Search and Rescue Team rushed to help the tubby tabby and carefully removed bricks from one of the garages to release the animal by 1.16pm.

The cat (not the one in the picture here) was left in the care of the RSPCA and taken to a vet.

Station Manager Scott Meekings, from the rescue team, said: "We carry a number of specialist tools for tricky rescues and the team worked carefully to cut a small hole in the garage to minimise the risk to the cat as well as damage to the garage.

"I'm really pleased we were able to rescue it unharmed."