A BAT that narrowly escaped being eaten by a cat is now earning its keep educating people.

On Wednesday evening, Norman, a Common pipistrelle, was the main attraction at a bat walk at Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

Norman damaged its wing after it was attacked by a cat in Bishop Auckland. It was brought to a local vet and is now being cared for by Noel Jackson, a licensed bat handler with the Durham Bat Group.

He said: "The people who brought him in did not say where they found him, so even if he was healthy, it would have been difficult to release him. He can fly a bit, but gradually flutters down to earth and cannot feed himself, so now he earns his food by educating people about bats.

"He is quite a character and enjoys hiding behind blinds and things like that."