A FAMILY was reunited with a lost kitten after it emerged from the bushes while a company carried out its regular litter pick.

Employees from Stateside Foods in Westhoughton were doing the company’s seasonal clean-up around the town last week.

But as well as finding 48 bags worth of rubbish, Shelagh Mann, Charlotte Hunter, Robyn Settle and Heather Middlehurst discovered the crying kitten approaching them out from the bushes

Ryan Battersby, corporate social responsibility co-ordinator at Stateside Foods, said: “While on the A6 near Wayfaring, a crying kitten came out of the bushes. After knocking on local residents’ doors, we were unsuccessful in tracking down the owner.

“We took the kitten to the vets but it was not micro-chipped so a cat-loving Stateside member of staff took the kitten home and fed it.”

The company did not give up the search for the owners and took to the internet and while searching social media for any possible appeals for missing kittens, they managed to find the family.

Mr Battersby said: “Due to the power of social media, the kitten called Oscar was reunited with its family, including an overjoyed little boy.”