Veterinary nurse Lindsay Newell holds newborn kittens — thought to be only 48 hours old — that had been dumped in a wheelie bin to die. But they were saved after sanitation workers found them cowering under a blanket as they did their rounds in Church Gresley, Deryshire, England.

A local resident said: “Whoever dumped them there should be ashamed of themselves.” Gill Coates, Waste Management Officer at the district council, added: “It was quite a shock to discover four little kittens in a bin. Our refuse loaders are very vigilant. Their prompt actions here have helped avert a possible tragedy and they deserve the highest praise.”

Miss Newell, who runs the Burton Wildlife Rescue and Animal Centre, has found the kittens a foster mother
and a new home in Burton.