Four stray kittens were rescued from a van that was minutes away from being crushed at a scrapyard.

The 10-day-old siblings were found on Friday (May 10) inside the van, which had been transferred to a scrapyard in Cambridgeshire from another site the day before.

A worker luckily heard the kittens’ cries from inside the van just as the machine was getting ready to crush the vehicle,

The vulnerable kittens were taken to nearby Woodgreen Pets Charity, the home of Channel 4’s The Dog House, based in Godmanchester.

They underwent an urgent check-up where, apart from being very hungry, they were all healthy.

According to Woodgreen’s veterinary, the kittens were only10 days old and had likely been without their mum for 24 hours, which can be harmful to kittens so young.

Staff immediately hand-fed the hungry youngsters with a milk replacement formula – their first meal for some time.

The kittens, named Mercedes, Mazda, Ford and Lexus by staff at the charity, are doing well and staying with an experienced Woodgreen foster carer.

They will then be ready to find new homes when they’re around eight to 10 weeks old.

Helen Stapleton, head of intake and rehoming at Woodgreen Pets Charity, said: “It’s because of the quick actions of the scrapyard worker that these kittens survived.

"If they hadn’t cried out in time, it’s awful to imagine what could have happened.

“We don’t know where their mum is but it’s possible she was a stray cat and chose the van as a quiet place to give birth, but then the vehicle being moved to a different site meant she was unable to get back to them.

"It’s likely the kittens had been without her for at least 24 hours, so they would have been very hungry.

"Luckily, they were in surprisingly good condition; they all had their eyes open and were very vocal – something that saved their lives.

She added: “Sadly, over the past year, we’ve seen more and more stray and abandoned pets coming through our doors due to the cost-of-living crisis.

"We urge anyone who’s struggling to care for their pet to reach out for support; our behaviourists offer free advice to members of the public and we can provide help to keep pets in the home wherever possible.”