A CAT narrowly avoided death after it became caught in an illegal trap.

Pepe was spotted cowering under a car with the gin trap, a spring-operated device with metal jaws, latched onto his paw on Thursday.

The resident who found him contacted the RSPCA.

Animal collection officer Lucy Fackerell went to the scene in London Road, Kelvedon, and found the cat crying in pain.

She said: “On closer inspection it became clear the cat was caught in an old, rusty gin trap.

“The trap had snapped shut on the cat’s front right foot.

“We took him to an out-of-hours vet for pain relief and staff managed to remove the trap.”

The two-year-old cat was microchipped so the RSPCA was able to contact his owner who came to collect him and take him to a vet for further treatment.

Ms Fackerell said: “While whoever set this trap probably didn’t expect to capture a cat, they still broke the law - it is illegal to set a gin trap whether or not it catches anything.

“Gin traps have to be purposefully set in order to snare an animal so this can’t have been an accident.

“It’s unlikely that this trap has been set in a residential area so it looks as though this poor little puss has been caught in it before dragging it to London Road and hiding under the car.”

Anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal faces a maximum £20,000 fine and possibly six months in prison.

The RSPCA is opposed to the manufacture, sale and use of all snares and any traps which cause suffering.

The setting and using of a gin trap is also an offence.

Trapped animals will struggle when caught and may succeed in pulling the trap from its anchor only to die later from their injuries.

Ms Fackerell added: “I’m so pleased this awful incident had a happy ending and that Pepe was reunited with his owner.

“Unfortunately, with such deadly traps, this could have been an awful outcome.”

Anyone with information can call the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.