A cat who got stuck in a three-inch gap between two properties was rescued after firefighters removed bricks from a garage wall.

Kevin, a black and white cat, may have fallen off a roof then cried for help after he was trapped in the tight space between the homes in Hesleden Avenue, Middlesbrough.

His loud meowing alerted neighbours who called in the RSPCA and Cleveland Fire and Rescue, who were unable to reach the stricken pet with their specialist equipment.

The RSPCA said the woman who owned the garage “kindly” allowed the fire service to remove some bricks near where he was trapped, and the RSPCA’s Shane Lynn was able to grab him in a rescue operation which took two and a half hours.

A trip to the vet showed Kevin had only suffered a swollen knee and his microchip meant he could be reunited with his owners who live nearby.

Mr Lynn said: “His owners were extremely grateful to see him.

“It turns out Kevin moved into the neighbourhood with his owners only four weeks prior to his adventure – so he has already made quite the first impression in the area.

“Kevin had fallen into such a tight gap his body was squashed into a width of about three inches.

“He really was unable to move and was obviously very frightened and we think he had been there a couple of hours. It then took a further two and a half hours to rescue him.

“Often in these situations we use specialist poles to grasp trapped animals but in this case we could not reach the cat.

“It was decided the only way to free him would be to go through the garage wall which the homeowner kindly agreed to.”