Woman stranded in cat rescue bid

A woman who climbed 20ft up a tree to help a trapped cat had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stranded.

The woman, aged in her 20s, went to help feline Mercedes who had been trapped in a neighbour's tree for almost two days.

But a branch broke beneath her and she was also left stranded in the tree on Essex Hall Road in Colchester, Essex.

Fire crews helped the woman down from the tree using ladders, while the cat eventually made its own way down.

Local resident Elly Hinkins said she had called the RSPCA after she heard a cat's cries for help and spotted Mercedes up a tree in her driveway.

Ms Hinkins, who is not Mercedes' owner, was told to inform the fire brigade if the cat remained trapped after three days.

'Confident climber'

But she called them a day earlier after spotting the would-be rescuer stuck up the tree along with the cat.

Ms Hinkins said: "She (the woman) got up there and was quite a confident climber but the branch she was standing on broke.

"She didn't want me to call the fire brigade but I said there was no way I was having her falling out of the tree and she just couldn't get down.

"I think she was actually quite chuffed to be rescued by some hunky fireman."

The woman, who has not been named, was led down to safety by a firefighter using a triple extension ladder on Monday night, a fire service spokesman said.