A KITTEN came within a whisker of disaster when she stowed away on a 20-mile trip beneath the bonnet of a pick-up truck.

Smokey crawled into the engine compartment of farmer Bob Thornton's 4WD for a nap.

Unaware the ten-week-old kitten was there, Bob and his wife, Sheila, drove in the truck from their home in Coanwood. Northumberland, to Hexham.

Amazingly, the kitten survived her ordeal unscathed.

Mrs Thornton said: "Smokey has used up one of her nine lives. She belongs to our 11-year-old daughter, Emily, who would have been heartbroken to lose her. She is a very playful cat, but I don't think she will be going anywhere near the pick-up again."