KITTENS were abandoned in a cardboard box outside the home of a Worcester News reporter.

The four kittens were left outside the home of health reporter James Connell in Warndon Villages in Worcester yesterday morning.

The mother was also found hiding in the engine compartment of one of the cars on the drive and, with her kittens, she was taken by an RSPCA inspector for medical checks and rehoming.

Mr Connell, aged 32, said: “One of my housemates opened the door and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, mate’.

“I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Just open the door’. I opened the door and there were four kittens mewing in a cardboard box.

"He had to go to work so I was left holding the babies, so to speak. They were shivering and I wasn’t sure how long they’d been there.

“I made sure they were warm enough, called the RSPCA, then popped out to get them some kitten food.

"They seemed happy enough and one of them kept trying to climb up my trouser leg.

“I can’t understand why someone would be selfish and irresponsible enough to abandon them like this.”

Mark Lewis, an RSPCA inspector responsible for Worcester, said the kittens would be checked by a vet as they all had fleas and would need to be de-wormed.

Mr Lewis said: “This is becoming more and more of a problem.

"People forget when they take on an animal it’s a 15 to 20-year commitment.

"They think it’s like a pair of shoes, wear them for a couple of months and then, when you get bored, just get rid of them.

“People say it’s the financial crisis but you still make that decision.

"An animal costs money and a lot of people just don’t give that the full consideration it deserves and we end up carrying the can.”

Mr Lewis said all the local branches of the RSPCA and Cats Protection were ‘choc-a-bloc’ and the kittens would probably be taken to the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre in Barnes Hill.

• Cats Protection in Worcester is offering a free neutering service to students, pensioners and people on a low income or state benefits. Call the Worcester branch on 01684 573317.