TWO lucky kittens are being hand-reared after being rescued from the rubbish-sorting conveyor belt at a North-East recycling centre.

Workers at J&B Recycling in Hartlepool spotted the tiny newborns amongst rubbish on the conveyor belt on a shift just before Christmas.

The tabby kittens – which have been named Jesse and Bobby – are only a few days old and still have their eyes closed and cords attached.

RSPCA officer Shane Lynn said they are believed to be born stray to a feral cat. He said: “These kittens were incredibly lucky to have been spotted by the eagle-eyed workers.

“If it wasn’t for their quick actions they could have been killed by the machinery at the plant. Staff believe they may have come from a recycling bin that one of the lorries picked up earlier in the day and were then tipped onto the conveyor belt along with the rubbish."

They were taken to Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital, where they are being hand-reared.

Mr Lynn added: “They’re very young so are extremely vulnerable, especially away from their mum, so we took them to Stanhope Park Veterinary Hospital where the out-of-hours team managed to warm them up and they’re now being hand-reared by a vet nurse who will give them all of the TLC they need.

“They were extremely cold and quite weak but, thankfully, don’t seem seriously affected by their ordeal so hopefully they should pull through and, eventually, we’ll be able to find them loving new homes.”

It is suspected the kittens may have been born stray to a feral cat in the local area before somehow ending up in the bin that was emptied into the lorry.

Mr Lynn said: “Feral cats can be extremely resourceful and thrive in the wild. But, sometimes, mother cats can choose rather unusual places to give birth to kittens and it may be that this pair’s mum chose a bin for shelter before being separated from her babies when the bin was emptied.”

The RSPCA does not have the resources to respond to calls about healthy strays.

However, the charity will help any injured or sick stray cats, or those in immediate danger, such as these little kittens.

Anyone who is concerned about the welfare of a stray cat, can contact the charity’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999 for advice.