National Highways

07/20/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/20/2023 02:38

Paw Patrol: Traffic officers save newborn kitten’s life during rescue operation on M1 in South Yorkshire

Paw Patrol: Traffic officers save newborn kitten's life during rescue operation on M1 in South Yorkshire

A newborn kitten's nine lives remain intact thanks to the heroic efforts of a team of National Highways traffic officers patrolling the M1 in South Yorkshire.

Emma Newell and her colleague had one hour left of their late shift when they were alerted to the possibility of a kitten being on the carriageway near junction 32 (Thurcroft).

Another traffic officer in the area asked to swing by the location following numerous reports of a feline intruder on the carriageway at around 9pm.

Emma, based at the Sprotborough outstation, said:

"We had a few reports throughout the shift of a cat on the M1. We did some run-throughs with different teams but none of us came across it.

"We all thought there must be a cat there because of all the reports there had been.

"My colleague was driving through that way at junction 32 of the M1 and she came across it. We put on a rolling roadblock so she could pick the kitten up."

One of the single-crewed traffic officers handed the kitten over to Emma so that she and her colleague could make their way to Morrisons off junction 1 of the M18 where they assembled a makeshift home for the kitten.

Emma, who has been a traffic officer with National Highways for six months and lives in Swinton, said:

"The other crews were single-crewed so I held him and he sat quietly on my lap until we got him to Morrisons car park.

"We got a little cardboard box while we were sorting out what vets we could take him to."

Emma took her new friend to Springfield Vets in Rotherham where he spent the night with a roof over his head.

Emma said: "We don't know if he had been dumped or if he was feral, but we couldn't find any other cats with him.

"I think if we hadn't have found him, he wouldn't have been around the next day because the rain on the Friday was torrential."

Notes to Editors

National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England's motorways and major A roads.

Real-time traffic information for England'smotorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.

For further information please contact National Highways' press office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448 and select the most appropriate option:

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Option 5: East Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 6: East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 7: South East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 8: South West (9am to 5.30pm)