A TINY, terrified kitten abandoned beside a dangerous road took matters into his own paws when he jumped into a lorry to ask the driver for help.

The six-week-old kitten, Eddie, was rescued by a trucker who had pulled over for a break in a layby off the A120, Braintree.

The driver heard meowing from the bushes, but the moment he opened his door, on Wednesday evening, little Eddie jumped on board.

Slightly bewildered, the driver offered Eddie a biscuit and called the RSPCA for support.

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Joe White said: “When he opened the door to his cab he could hear meowing coming from a nearby bush and a little kitten soon emerged, running over to him and climbing up the steps to the cab to get in.

“The driver gave the little puss a biscuit to nibble on and rang us as he wasn’t sure what to do.

“He knew he wouldn’t be allowed to keep the kitten inside his lorry and couldn’t take him to a vet or rescue centre as he had already reached his maximum driving hours so he called us for help.”

ACO White collected the frightened little long-haired cat and took him to a nearby vet in Braintree.

He added: “Vets think he is only around six-weeks-old and he is very skinny, has fleas and has discharge from the eyes.

“Other than that, he is bright and alert, and he’s super-friendly.

“This is a really busy road with no nearby houses so this poor, vulnerable kitten must have been abandoned nearby to have ended up in such a perilously dangerous spot.

“To leave this poor little puss on his own here is unbelievable.

“It’s a miracle he didn’t run into the road and get hit by a car.”

Eddie will receive treatment at the vets and, if not claimed, will begin looking for a new home once he is old enough and healthy enough.

Anyone with any information about Eddie or how he came to be beside the busy road should call 0300 1238018 and leave a message for ACO White.

The RSPCA is inundated with cats and kittens who have been abandoned.

Cases like this highlight the need for more education to ensure potential cat owners understand the commitment, responsibility and costs involved in taking on a pet, as well as the importance of neutering cats, with the feline population at crisis point.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit: www.rspca.org.uk/give.