A FIREFIGHTER has received special praise for helping to rescue two four-week old kittens which fell down a drain.

Toby Ingham, Station Manager in the emergency planning team at Essex Fire Service, was called to Galleyhill Road, Waltham Abbey, on May 30 after the pair had fallen down a complex drain system across a large area.

Working alongside a local cat rescue, Scratching Post Cat Rescue, Toby used specialist equipment including a thermal imaging camera to establish the exact location of the kittens.

Although they could not reach the kittens using the equipment they had, Toby and the cat rescue team set up a kitten-focussed plan using netting and two small traps with food near the ends of the pipes.

Overnight, the curious cats sniffed out the food and were found safe and well in the traps first thing the next morning.

Susan Lewis Hall from Scratching Post Cat Rescue said: "Toby was amazing and the smile the mummy cat gave when she was reunited with her kittens was lovely.

"They had crawled a long way and Toby was able to tell us whereabouts they were.

"It was awful knowing the pipes went all over a large site and all connected they could have gone anywhere, it's a miracle we got them and we'd like to thank Toby for his role in their rescue."

Mr Ingham added: "It was a different experience working alongside the Waltham Abbey cat rescuers and it's nice to know that the kittens are safe.

"Together we formed a response plan that was kitten-focussed and managed to confirm proof-of-life and exact-location by utilising Essex fire equipment.

"A safe-system-of-work was put in place and happily the kittens managed to find their way out."

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The two kittens currently have no names but Susan and her colleagues at Scratching Post Cat Rescue plan to call one Toby.

If your animal gets trapped or you find a trapped animal, please call the RSPCA who will call the Fire Service.

Essex Fire Service have urged the public not to attempt to rescue an animal yourself as you might put yourself in danger too.