POLICE were hunting a burglar when they found a cat burglar of a different sort - an adorable three-week-old kitten.

West Mercia police officers, Dave Olczak and Andy Russell from Evesham Patrol responded to a report of someone breaking into a Garden Nursery in South Littleton in the evening of Saturday, August 22.

Having attended calls to the address in the past both officers knew that the nursery was derelict and was now just an expanse of huge empty greenhouses with little of value for any potential thieves. Just as they expected upon arrival there was no one to be found.

The informant told police a group of young people had possibly entered a derelict house on the site next to the nurseries so PC Olczak and PC Russell went to investigate.

PC Olczak said: "It was a detached house with all the windows smashed and it looked as though it hadn't been lived in for a few years.

"Andy and I had a wander around and there was a water pipe in the ground which had been damaged and the water was gushing about a metre into the air."

The two officers continued their search around the derelict property and upon entering the kitchen they suddenly heard a rustling noise just a couple of metres from them.

PC Olczak said: "We both jumped and I said 'It's a little kitten!"

PC Russell managed to get hold of the black and white kitten and the two officers returned with her to the station to try and find a number for a local RSPCA or Cat Protection officer.

PC Russell said: "She was getting a lot of fuss in the station and meowing lots, a lot of people fell in love with her."

PC Olczak then decided to use the power of Facebook to find the abandoned kitten a new home. After posting a picture of the kitten along with the story of her rescue onlineTom and Leanne Lozynsky came forward to offer to take the kitten in and have now named her 'Constable David Catsby'.

Tom and Leanne have now had Catsby checked over at a local vet and found that she is just three weeks old and appears to be a stray.

Catsby's new owners stayed up with her all night on the first night before she was eventually 'purrsuaded to take some milk formula and is now feline much better.