MILLY the cat lost one of her nine lives on Tuesday after she hitched a ride in the family car and ended up getting stuck in the engine.

She travelled from Devizes to Amesbury, was trapped in the engine compartment while her owner was at work and then was driven still in close confinement back to Avon Road before anyone realised something was amiss.

Luckily for Milly the cat Mike Wray and his team at Devizes Fire Station were on hand to free her after getting a call from her owners.

He said: “When we got there the cat was well and truly stuck. We arrived about 9pm and it took us the best part of two hours to get her out after, with the owner’s help, we dismantled the engine.

“Luckily she was not near the manifold so she didn’t get burnt but it must have been quite hot. She has definitely used up one of her nine lives.

“When the owner got home he was told the cat was missing and they started to look for her and then realised she was in the engine.

“She is a rescue cat and had only been with them for a couple of weeks.

“When we got her out she seemed fine but the owners were going to take her to the vets the next day to have her checked over.

“It is one of the strangest things I have been with. You get cats stuck up trees but not engines.”

People on Facebook praised the firefighters for their actions. The Devizes fire station is looking for new recruits who want such a varied life.