A TINY bat left dangling in mid-air when it became ensnared on a fishing hook has been freed and released back into the wild.

The unusual victim was rescued by a patrolling British Waterways worker who found the pipistrelle bat on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near the Queen Victoria Pub, Burnley.

The mammal was dangling in mid-air from a length of fishing line with the hook embedded in its mouth.

RSPCA inspector Dave Anforth removed the hook and took the bat to Greenhalgh's veterinary surgeon's in Trafalgar Street, Burnley, where it was checked over.

After receiving the all-clear, the bat was returned to where it was found and released back into the wild.

Insp Anforth said: "This has to be the most unusual animal to get caught in fishing line but it proves that discarded rubbish can injure, and often kill, a wide variety of creatures. If people disposed of their litter properly, many animals would be saved from injury and death.

"A large proportion of the injuries the society's inspectors, animal collection officers, vets and wildlife hospitals deal with are caused by carelessly discarded plastic drink can holders and fishing line and hooks."

In 2000 the RSPCA saw the number of animals rescued or collected due to litter-related injuries increase by 23.5 per cent to 7,063. The increase prompted the RSPCA to launch a 'lethal litter' campaign, urging people in England and Wales to properly dispose of rubbish.

Insp Anforth does not believe the bat was deliberately injured but many people use the Leeds and Liverpool canal for fishing and it possible someone accidentally lost the hook and line while trying to cast into the water.