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From earthquake zone to cat rescue for firefighters

IN A TIGHT SPOT: The frightened cat beside the chimney. Pictures: MIKE PETT
IN A TIGHT SPOT: The frightened cat beside the chimney. Pictures: MIKE PETT
The cat is finally in safe hands
The cat is finally in safe hands

IT'S all in a day's work for the firefighters from Thanet.

After using their height vehicle on dangerous chimneys in earthquake-hit Folkestone for five consecutive days, a crew was called out to save a stranded cat - from a chimney!

The marooned animal had become stuck atop a chimney in Margate. The fire crew were called to the scene at the old alms houses next to the QEQM hospital on Tuesday just before 1pm on Tuesday.

A fire engines was called from Margate fire station but found its ladders could not do the job, so a height vehicle was brought in from Thanet station to reach for the fretting pet.

The cat, whose name and gender are not known, had jumped from stack to stack before finding itself stranded 20 feet from the ground.

The awkwardness of the site, with pitched roofs and multiple stacks, meant the long reach of the height vehicle had to be used to perfrom the rescue, using the hospital car park as a base.

The animal was plucked to safety by a fireman resting the extendable platform on the chimney - and grabbing the cat gently by the scruff of the neck.

It was popped into a cage and returned to its owner - a whisker away from disaster.

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