PEPSI Max the half-Persian kitten was ready for a big drink after being trapped inside a water heater for two days.

His roller coaster adventure began when he squeezed through a tiny gap, and no matter how much his owner Julie Simcoe tried to coax him, he could not get out.

Eventually, Julie, of Mizpah Street, Burnley, called in the cavalry and the lads from Burnley fire brigade turned out for the rescue.

Even so, it took them 45 minutes to find Pepsi Max.

They had to dismantle the boiler and remove some wallboards before they found a very subdued, hungry kitten sitting on top of the heating element.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.