CUTE kitten Ruby is the latest fragile feline to be rescued from a car recycling centre.

In May staff at Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary in Stadhampton were called by ASM Auto Recycling in Thame after four kittens were found in the footwell of a car due to be crushed.

Sanctuary manager Iain Atkin said: "In May staff at ASM asked us to come and collect four kittens and since then we have managed to find them all new homes.

"Now they have found another kitten, Ruby, so we are looking for another new home and we are quite confident we will get one - we have rehomed about 60 kittens in the past 12 weeks.

"The car recycling centre backs onto fields so cats about to give birth looking for somewhere warm and dry get into the old cars and stay on the back seats or the footwells.

"The other kittens were just a week old but Ruby is now five weeks.

"Staff at ASM are very vigilant and are working with us - they make sure they check every vehicle before it is crushed."

Becky Greenaway, admin assistant for ASM Auto Recycling in Rycote Lane, said: "We are working closely with the animal sanctuary and get in touch with them when we find cats and kittens on the site."

For further information about the sanctuary visit oxfordshireanimalsanctuary.org.uk