A fox was rescued after getting his head wedged inside a plastic bottle.

The animal was spotted on Thursday in Newham, north London, by a car park worker, who called the RSPCA for help.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Nick Jonas said: “This poor fox was in quite a dangerous situation – he’d manage to wedge his head inside a rigid plastic bottle and couldn’t get it off.

“When I arrived, I was really concerned that the fox might be running out of oxygen, as he’d collapsed in a bush and was breathing very heavily.

“I needed to work fast.”

Mr Jonas managed to lift the fox into a carrier and prise the bottle away from his head.

“He didn’t appear to have sustained any injuries from his ordeal, so I was able to let him go, and he immediately rushed off to rejoin his family group,” Mr Jonas said.

The RSPCA said it has received 8,092 calls over the last two years about animals caught up in or injured by litter – an average of 11 per day.

“This incident just highlights how dangerous litter can be to animals,” Mr Jonas said.

“We really urge people to dispose of their litter appropriately or take their litter home.”