A vigilant security guard has rescued three kittens from a house which is due to be demolished tomorrow.

Stephen Pumfrey is now desperately trying to save their mother and the rest of her litter before the building is knocked down.

He was patrolling the site in Littlehampton last Thursday when he heard mewing from under the floorboards.

His partner, Joanne Bennett, said: "Stephen called me from work saying he had found some kittens and their mother but he couldn't catch them because they were going under the floorboards."

Mr Pumfrey caught two of the kittens and the RSPCA went to the site in the Watersmead Business Park on Friday and set a trap which caught a third. Miss Bennett, of Nelson Close, Sompting, said they planned to keep two of the kittens, which have been called Lucky, Patch and Shy, and hope to rehome the third.

She said: "There are another two kittens we know of plus the mother. Stephen is going back to see if we can get them. The builders say they will leave the building until Friday so we hope there will be enough time."