WHEN Mark Varey heard a screeching noise coming from his Ford Focus he thought it was his brakes playing up.

But three hours later, after a joint fire and rescue and RSPCA salvage operation, emerged the luckiest cat in the county - from the car's engine.

The black and white moggy, christened Lucky by Mark, travelled from Higher Croft to Blackburn town centre and up to Bank Top wrapped up right in the middle of the engine.

Mark said: "It just proves that cats really do have nine lives."

The 35-year-old service engineer had been working in Peel Close on properties owned by Twin Valley Homes.

When he finished work at 4pm he got in his car and drove along Manxman Road, down Brandy House Brow, and into the town centre.

There he picked up his wife Joanne from the Yorkshire Bank where she works.

He said: "I turned the radio off as I was talking to my wife and I heard this strange noise, it was like a screeching.

"Initially I thought it was my brakes but when I pulled over I realised it must be a cat."

Mark stopped in Duckworth Street near St Wilfrid's High School, in Bank Top.

He called the RSPCA who travelled from Greater Manchester to help the animal.

However, Mark of Clayton Way, on the Fernhurst Farm estate, Ewood, said there was no more noise coming from his car and he thought the cat must have perished.

He said: "I assumed it had died in the engine but when the RSPCA officer shined a torch into the engine it started whining again.

"It was very much inside the engine, wrapped right around the engine. It is amazing that it survived."

The cat was freed by Lancashire Fire and Rescue officers who took apart the engine.

Mark is now handing out posters around the area where Lucky got into his car in an attempt to trace the owner, let them know the cat is safe and return it to its rightful home. I hope its owner can be reunited with it as they will not know what has happened to it."

The cat was taken to Altham Animal Centre.

Heather Holmes, of the RSPCA, said: "He was making a very feint meowing sound, which made us certain he'd been badly injured. But everybody was absolutely delighted to discover he was OK.

"He'd seemingly sat right up in a corner above the engine and was unhurt. Apart from being a bit dirty, he was fine.

"We gave him a good wash and brush, and a check-up.

"It's not unheard of for cats to do this. They like the warmth and feeling of security underneath the bonnet.

"Some cats are carried hundreds of miles to the other end of the country after climbing up above the engine."

The RSPCA is certain the cat has an owner as he appears well-looked after.

"We suspect he lives near where the car was parked and, hopefully, he'll soon be back home," she added.