A cat had to be rescued by firefighters in the early hours of the morning after it got stuck on a metal fence. 

A crew from Leigh were called out to Kenneth Road in Thundersley at around 4.30am today (Sunday, June 13) after a resident had heard the cat crying out in distress. 

The cat had got stuck on a metal fence but was freed after the 40-minute rescue operation. 

It was then whisked off to the vets for treatment. 

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Essex Fire Service say the cat was microchipped so the owner will be found and informed.

Crew manager Chris Seal said: "One of the cat's back legs had been impaled by a metal spike above a side gate.

"We used our cutting tools to remove the spike just below the point of entry. The resident gave us a crate to put the cat in and we took it to a vet.

"It is always horrible to see an animal in distress so we were pleased that we were able to release it quickly."