A three-month-old kitten has been found trapped and starving in a household wheelie bin in Ilford.

It was rescued after a passer-by heard its desperate cries coming from the bin in Cranbrook Road on July 20.

The tiny animal had been left inside a cardboard box with a blanket.

Rescue workers said it was “lucky to be alive” after being abandoned without food and water. If the bin was collected, it could have been crushed to death in a rubbish lorry.

But the lucky fluffball, named Chippie by charity workers, is now going to a loving family home after her rescuer took her to the Wood Green animal charity centre in Heydon, Hertfordshire.

Animal rehomer Alice Naylor said: “It is fair to say that young Chippie probably owes her life to this lady. We are thankful that she didn’t walk on by when she heard Chippie’s cries.

“The kitten was very hungry when she was found but in a fairly good condition and friendly.”

Animal charities urge Redbridge residents to neuter their cats to avoid unwanted kittens and strays.