Trapped fox freed from industrial steel netting with bolt cutters

The fox was spotted on a Stourbridge railway embankment by an eagle-eyed resident who called the RSPCA straight away.

RSPCA Inspector Steve Lee said: "The poor fox was in a very awkward location, and it was only with the guidance of the eagle-eyed local gentleman that I was able to reach the right area, as there was no obvious access point onto the embankment.

"With the helpful resident’s assistance, and after scaling two ladders over a residential property fence and walking down the embankment, I finally reached the fox."

The fox was well and truly trapped under steel mesh which had been laid down across a wide area to stop landslides on the embankment.

Steve added: "I’m still not sure how he got underneath the mesh, but as the light was fading fast, I had to free him as quickly as possible.

"Very carefully cutting through the mesh with a pair of bolt cutters, I managed to free the little guy.

"I checked him over and apart from a couple of superficial wounds to the neck from the wire which he must have obtained when he had been trying to free himself, he was in good condition so I was able to let him go to return to the wild.

"He shot off like a rocket, no doubt very happy to be getting back to his home territory nearby."

“This rescue was a real team effort."

The man who spotted the fox on March 6 had been watching a group of foxes on the embankment for years and if it hadn’t been for him, it would never have been seen.

"So I would very much like to thank him for his vigilance, for contacting us and then for helping me access the site," Steve continued.

"If he hadn’t been there, this incident would almost certainly have ended very differently."