A rescued fox with a badly twisted neck has undergone a £1,750 brain scan for free thanks to Sheppey-based animal charity Kent Wildlife Rescue Services, a Faversham vet and a mobile diagnostics service.

The four-year-old animal, dubbed Scary by charity boss Lorraine St John because of his strange behaviour, has been looked after since November when he was first taken to the centre in Victoria Street, Sheerness, suffering from mange – a skin disease caused by mites.

But then Lorraine noticed he was holding his head in a weird way and feared he had also developed an ear infection.

When the charity’s usual vets drew a blank, Lorraine sent out begging letters for help and Julien Olive of Toachim House Veterinary Surgery in Shunters Close, Faversham, replied.

The fox was handed over and given a head scan in a 40ft long mobile trailer operated by Cambridge-based Burgess Diagnostics.

The scan revealed the animal had probably suffered a stroke.

Lorraine said: “This was a perfect example of the community all working together.

"We had been planning to set up a funding page and I was hoping for a bit of a discount.

“But I never imagined the vet or the diagnostics company would supply their services for free.

"The normal price for an animal scan is £1,750 and with medication and an overnight stay I was expecting a bill of about £2,000.”

She added: “It also shows animals can suffer strokes as well as humans. In the wild, he would have died.”

The fox will stay with the rescue service as it is thought he would not survive if released into the wild.

Kent Wildlife Rescue Service is the Sheerness Times Guardian’s charity of the year.

It runs a 24-hour service, answering emergency calls to any wildlife in Kent that is thought to be in trouble. Call 07824 893399.

For more on its work, search Kent Wildlife Rescue Service on Facebook.