A trapped fox cub's life was saved after a fearless 13-year-old ensured it was rescued from elastic tape.

Sarah Maggs, 43, her husband Mark and 13-year-old daughter Isla heard a strange noise coming from a pile of rubbish in their neighbour's adjoining garden and discovered a family of foxes had made it their home.   

In the days following the discovery, Isla had become particularly enthralled with the cubs, going to see them as often as she could before spotting the emergency days later.

"She came back from school and asked if she could go and see them, and I thought it would probably be far too early for them to be out as it was only 4.30pm but I said she could go and look anyway," Sarah said. 

Swindon Advertiser: The struggling fox cub's leg caught in the elasticThe struggling fox cub's leg caught in the elastic

But the girl spotted the distressed animal's plight as it had become trapped in an old elastic chair and alerted her mum.

Sarah rang wildlife rescue charity RSPCA Oak and Furrows for help.

"We couldn’t let the cub just die but I didn’t want to try and attempt to set it free myself because I was thinking what if it needs medical treatment, I don’t want it to escape and not get the help it needs," she said.

"I was just panicking to be honest."

Half an hour after calling Oak and Furrows, a volunteer named Emma turned up to the Park North property and managed to squeeze into the neighbour's garden to free the cub with a knife.

"She was amazing, she managed to wrap him in a towel and checked his paw which didn't seem to be broken.

"She did say he was cold and would've been dead by morning if he'd remained stuck."

The cub was taken to the charity's centre in Cricklade for further care and will be released back into the wild when he has recovered.

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Anj Saunders, deputy centre manager said: "He is putting on weight and doing well and is particularly fond of his evening meal of puppy food and puppy milk which he absolutely loves!

"He is also enjoying some fun playtime with two other cubs who are with us.

"Netting can be a real issue for wildlife, and we see many injuries caused by animals and birds becoming entangled. 

"Sadly, this can be lethal if the animal or birds are not found in time to save them, or they suffer fatal injuries from struggling and trying to free themselves."

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For more information on Oak and Furrows and the work it does, or to donate, visit website rspcaoandf.org.uk