Fire-fighters had to rescue the mischievous moggy after it became trapped on the river bank behind Padiham Town Hall.

One onlooker said the black and white cat must have become stranded overnight as water levels rose.

Three appliances, two from Padiham and Preston and a water rescue team from Nelson, along with a major incident support unit, attended the incident at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Fire-fighters tried to get near the cat but as they approached it made a desperate leap for freedom and ended up getting dragged by the current over the weir.

Station manager Nick Clough, of Nelson Fire Station, said: "Fortunately we had placed one of the crews at the bottom of the river and the current took it straight to them. When it was plucked out of the water and put on shore it darted off and we were unable to catch it. It looked healthy though and the most important thing is that it's out of the water."