A LITTER of five kittens was seconds from death after their mother gave birth in a wood shredder.

Council workmen were about to throw the switch, which would have had disastrous consequences for the unsuspecting family nestling inside.

Thankfully, one of the workers heard a tiny meow and looked inside before he switched it on.

He found five ten-day-old kittens staring back at him and told his bosses at the Newcastle council depot in the Walbottle district of the city.

Council officer Ian Rennie, 37, said the shredder had not been used for a couple of weeks.

"If the machine had started with the kittens inside they would have been killed at once.

"It was sheer chance that they were discovered in time. We are hoping their parents will come back to them," he added.

RSPCA Inspector Iain Kane said: "We would advise companies which are aware of wild cats in their grounds to check machinery before use, especially if it has not been used for a couple of weeks.