CAT lover Victoria Fox rescued a kitty knocked down by her late night taxi and then helped find the owner.

When the 18-year-old reveller returned from a night at Utopia nightclub, Blackburn, she was so horrified to think they had hit a cat near Four Lane Ends Road in Revidge that she set back out to rescue it.

The former St Wilfrid's pupil woke her mum at 3.20am in their Pleckgate Road home, begging that they return to the accident site to check on the ginger tom.

And they were so horrified to find the cat crawling along the pavement, dragging its back legs, they called the police and then the RSPCA for help.

Victoria, who is currently studying at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: "I could never have lived with myself if I had just left it. I would have done the same for any animal.

"We heard the thud when we knocked it down but the taxi driver would not stop and help so I was determined to go back and then my mum offered to help. It was our good deed for the weekend."

Alison, Victoria's mum, said: "Victoria was distraught and was really upset when I told her you did not have to report it like you do with dogs.

"I am so glad we went back out because the poor cat had broken its pelvic bone. We called the RSPCA but they would have had to drive from Preston to help so they gave us the number of a local on-call vet who could help."

They then distributed posters on Saturday morning to try to find the owner.

Grateful Janet Seed, 46, of Sheer Brow, was re-united with her three-year-old cat Timmy on Saturday and immediately rewarded the pair with flowers and a huge thank you.

She said: "This was totally beyond the call of duty to go and help in the middle of the night and we were really surprised but they totally saved his life and we are all very grateful.

"We have all been very worried."