A TIMID tabby had to be rescued by firefighters after it got stuck up a tree more than 25 metres high with a crisp packet stuck on its head.

Fire crews from Whitley Wood were sent to Croft Road in Spencers Wood at around midday on Wednesday after the adventurous cat decided to climb up a tree on a building site.

It proved to be an exhaustive rescue as emergency services were unable to bring the feline down with the usual ladder and had to bring in an aerial platform.

The cat is in good health and after knocking on doors in the area, firefighters decided to take it to Valley Vets until the owner could be traced.

Chris Davidson, crew manager for Whitley Wood, said: "It was stuck up a tree that was part of a building site and it did not want to move because it had a crisp packet stuck on its head.

"It found a safe spot and kept still, but we could not reach it with the ladder on the engine and it was not safe for us to climb the tree ourselves.

"We knocked on a few doors locally to see who the cat belonged to after finding a carrier box for the cat, but it was not wearing a collar.

"We were there for around 45 minutes before taking it to the vets in Spencers Wood."

The cat was clinging to a thin branch and the RSPCA was informed of the incident.

It is now in the safe hands of Valley Vets on Basingstoke Road and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service have appealed for the owners to come forward.

Neil Carter, the group manager who attended the incident, added: “We took the decision to act quickly because of the precarious position the cat was in.

"It was very high up and was distressed at not being able to see properly so we used the aerial ladder platform to return the cat safely to the ground.”

If you have lost a tabby in the Spencers Wood area, please call 0118 988 4856 for further information.