A well-travelled cat.

It seems that one cat got a bit more than it bargained for when it investigated the undercarriage of a train.

The tabby, named Polly, was found trapped on a train that had been hurtling cross country after train manager Emily Mahoney-Smith heard her crying out. It is thought that she became trapped after crawling into the carriage when a maintenance panel was removed at a rail yard in Plymouth.

A spokesman for the train operator First Great Western said: “We’re pretty sure the cat had been stuck on board for some time. It was ensconced in the underbelly and couldn’t have got there unless the train was in a depot.

“That part of the train isn’t accessible from a normal station stop so the latest it could realistically have stowed away would have been at Plymouth, where it started service. We’ve calculated it did at least 1,667 miles.”

The cat was said to be in surprisingly good condition considering its escapades, but she did have an infected leg which has had to be amputated. However, the animal was microchipped so she is all set for a reunion with her owners, Arthur Westington and his wife Louisa, who live near Plymouth.