Fox cub rescued from drain with aid of traffic cone

A fox cub thought to have spent five days stuck in a drain on the Isle of Wight has been rescued with the help of a traffic cone and dog biscuits.

Volunteers from island charity Friends of the Animals were called to Nicholson Street near Newport after residents reported hearing barking over several days, which was eventually traced to an outside drain.

After hours spent monitoring the drain on Saturday, a Southern Water camera was lowered inside, revealing the cub's eyes glinting in the darkness.

The cub - nicknamed Penny Piper - was finally rescued the following day after volunteers blocked the pipe between two manholes using a cut-down traffic cone, allowing them to safely retrieve her.

Several previous attempts to pull the cub to to safety failed after she repeatedly slipped past makeshift barriers inside the drain.

The charity said it was thought the fox cub, thought to be about 12 weeks old, had been trapped in the pitch black drain since about Wednesday.

Posting on Facebook, the charity thanked the Southern Water crew, saying they could not have rescued the cub without their help and praising their determination and care, adding "as the saying goes, heroes don't always wear capes."

The Southern water team said they were "honestly just delighted we had the skills and gear to bring this to a happy conclusion".

"We hope Penny won't be diving into any more drains or pipes!" they added.

After treatment at a local vets the fox is recovering and putting on some weight at the island's RSPCA centre before being released.