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If there’s one thing that fire fighters are renowned for – apart from putting out fires, of course – it is rescuing cats that are stuck in trees. However, when Tinkerbell became stranded, the rescue mission became a nine man operation.

One year old Tinkerbell was being chased by a dog, and scrambled 60 ft up a tree to escape. The cat’s owner, 18 year old Sophie Clarkson, tried to coax her down with a succession of treats, but she refused to budge. After three days, the RSPCA were notified and in turn they called in the fire service.

A fire engine arrived at the scene, and its complement of nine firemen all helped out in hoisting ladders to rescue the hapless feline.

Sophie, a student from Weston-super-mare, Somerset, said: “She was terrified and meowing 60ft up a tree. She was sitting on the first set of branches. There was no question of jumping down to lower branches.

Louise Clarkson, Sophie’s mother, added: “Tinkerbell was meowing and she was exhausted. She hadn't slept for three days for fear of falling off the precarious branch.”

The rescue operation was complicated by the fact that the tree was rotting away; the fire brigade had to stabilise it by bracing it with a ladder, before using an extra long 44ft one to get to the cat.

The kitten was so scared that it leaped the last couple of feet onto its rescuer’s shoulder rather than go into the bag he had taken with him. Luckily, apart from being scared, hungry and tired, Tinkerbell was unharmed.

Such incidents are fairly common, and illustrate the need to have comprehensive cat insurance as not all cats are as lucky as Tinkerbell. However, a representative for the Avon Fire and Rescue defended the need to have nine fire fighters at the scene.

He said: “We received a call from the RSPCA as a referral because they required our assistance.

“Our firefighters travel in a pump where there is a certain amount of riders in an appliance in case there is another emergency that they need to go on to.

“Also, to ensure health and safety since they were using ladders it was essential for multiple personnel to be used.”