IT was the operation that touched the heart of the Penwortham community - the search for Snowball the kitten.

Clockwise from top:

FRIDAY morning: Council engineers, workers from the drainage department, the fire brigade, and camera crew from the General Underground Services in Warrington pull together to try and trace the missing moggy. Concerned neighbours rallied round with steaming cups of tea and coffee.

FRIDAY noon: Digging deep. The whereabouts of Snowball baffled everyone. They could hear her pitiful meows but they couldn't find her. Probes were sent down the pipes and special equipment was used to pin point the place to start digging. SATURDAY morning: The workers finally strike gold, Snowball is brought out of the sewer safe and well.

SATURDAY noon: An emotional moment for neighbour 13-year-old Elizabeth Watts as she finally gives cold and wet Snowball a big cuddle. Elizabeth was a vital member of the rescue team; she kept calling to the frightened kitten throughout the operation.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.