A CAT called Merlin was unable to work any magic when he got himself stuck between two garages close to his home.

But the 11-month-old Persian is now 'feline fine' after a dramatic rescue by the fire brigade.

The cat, owned by Rachel Johnstone, 28, and boyfriend Stuart Watt, 31 escaped from their back yard in Margaret Street, Oswaldtwistle, and came face to bumper with a car for the first time.

The fright caused him to dart off between two garages off New Lane.

When he had not returned home by the next afternoon Rachel, a care nurse, went looking for him and eventually found him wedged in a four-inch gap between the garages, just yards from the house.

The couple, who have had the 11-month-old Persian cat since he was a kitten, rang the RSPCA but were told they would not come out until after 24 hours, so in desperation they rang the fire brigade.

Firefighter David Berry said: "It was a real cat-astrophe! Merlin had got out of the house for the first time in his life, saw a car and wasn't particularly impressed so he ran off.

"If he was dry he might have been okay but he is a very furry cat and got soaked wet through so when he got half way through the gap he got stuck fast."

Firefighters from Oswaldtwistle's retained station called in reinforcements from Accrington station who sent the incident support unit to help free the frightened and soggy moggy. The team spent an hour and a half using specialist equipment to cut a 2ft by 2ft hole in the concrete wall of one of the garages. Firefighter Berry said: "We had to be really careful when cutting as we didn't want to destroy the garage because the people who owned it were away on holiday but a neighbour gave us permission to do the work anyway.

"The other problem was that we couldn't go too close to the cat or make too much noise in case we frightened him.

But once we made a small gap I put my hand through to stroke him and heard him meow -- that was the best feeling because we knew then he was okay.

"This was definitely a first for us -- we've had a cat stuck in a van before and one in an attic but funnily enough never one in a tree."

Speaking after the rescue operation Rachel said: "Normally he doesn't leave the back yard but curiosity got the better of him and he wandered off. "I was heartbroken when I saw him. He was proper stuck, jammed flat and squashed.

"And he was soaked as well because there was a trough above him and water was running on to him. "

"It surprised me how quickly he came to when they got him out and I can't thank the fire crew enough for rescuing him.

"This was the first of his nine lives to go and hopefully it will be the last."

Now Merlin is confined to the house along with the couple's other pet, a 10-month-old African Grey parrot.