A mother cat is nursing her kittens once more after being 'purr-sued' in Canning Town.

A vet from Celia Hammond Animal Trust spotted the young puss bolt across the Barking Road at 5.20pm on Tuesday, May 11.

The fearful feline darted into the car park at the McDonald's drive-through on the corner of Beckton Road and cowered under a vehicle.

She was eventually teased out and found to be full of milk, prompting concerns for her kittens.

The trust issued an appeal on social media and kept the black moggy safe inside its Canning Town hub.

Celia Hammond said: "If we had let her go, she would have got run over. She was absolutely petrified. We didn't know where she had come from."

The cat's owner spotted the social media appeal and was reunited with the puss at the centre on Wednesday, May 12.

It emerged the cat - whose name is Kitty - was a stray which had been adopted after wandering into a home half a mile away from where she was found.

Kitty had given birth in the comfort of the new surroundings and at about 3pm on Tuesday, had popped outside for her daily break from tending to her five offspring.

Celia suggested Kitty probably came into season after giving birth and drew the undivided attention of neighbourhood Tom cats as she ventured outside.

With the kittens at five weeks old, and at Kitty's age, she would have come back into season very quickly, according to the trust's founder.

Her charms would have proved irresistible to the frisky felines who she may have fled in a bid to escape their embraces, Celia said.

Celia added: "Or she might have jumped out of a cat basket or been chased by a dog or children. We have no idea.

"She was running like the wind. Obviously something was chasing her. Cats don't bolt into traffic unless chased. She was lucky she didn't get killed."

The mother and kittens were reunited soon after Kitty's owner arrived. The puss was also neutered before returning home and, according to the trust, is doing fine.

Celia, who set up the trust in 1986, has also urged cat owners to make sure their pusses are neutered.

"We don't want a year with an unbelievable number of unwanted kittens," she said.

Contact the trust on 020 7474 8811.