A kitten had a lucky escape after being taken on a hair-raising drive after getting trapped in a car bumper.

The three-month old tabby is thought to have got wedged in the bumper of a transit van which had stopped off in a street in Wallington.

The occupants, including a young girl, discovered the frazzled feline more than half-an-hour later, several miles away in Croydon.

It had been driven at speeds of at least 30mph.

The people in the van heard a noise and realised there was a cat trapped.

They had to unscrew their bumper to free her, as she was trapped behind brackets.

She was then driven straight to Riverside Animal Centre in Beddington Park, which is now caring for her.

Centre staff are appealing for the owner to come forward in the hope the kitten can be returned home.

Jan Taylor, fundraising and finance manager at the centre, said: "Its certainly a first for us. We are not sure how she got stuck."

"She's certainly had a narrow escape as if she fallen while the van was moving, she would most likely have been killed."

She said the kitten was frightened after its ordeal, but soon relaxed.

The centre have named the cat Lily-May, after the young girl who brought her in.

The cat's owner will require proof of ownership to collect her.

Contact the centre on info@riversideanimalcentre.org.