WHEN eight-year-old Murphy mysteriously went missing, his owners searched gardens, alleyways and even the railway bank for any sign of him.

It seems the mischievous moggy was testing out how many of his nine lives he could use in one go, after falling 20ft down a flue at a car body repair centre in Corsham.

It was only when employee Mark Pincott went into work at Crash in Pound Mead on Friday morning and heard meowing noises coming from an oven flue that Murphy was discovered, cowering on a narrow ledge just inches away from an extractor fan.

It is thought Murphy could have been stuck in the flue, which sucks out overspray from newly-painted cars, for weeks, as he was painfully thin and covered in traces of paint. He went missing on September 11.

Murphy's owner Martin Hancock, a Corsham firefighter, said he and his wife Julie, 36, did not think Murphy could still be alive - although they had not broken the news of Murphy's disappearance to their four-year-old daughter Victoria.

Mr Hancock, 46, of Wastfield, said: "He has used his nine lives up overnight.

"Occasionally he has gone missing for two to three days. After two weeks we thought, that's it.

"My wife asked both vets practices in Corsham to let us know if they heard anything. We couldn't do anything else."

Mr Hancock said he went down to Crash as soon as he got the call from the vet saying a cat had been found.

"As soon as I looked at him I was sure but I had to get my wife," he said.

"He had lost a lot of weight but my wife knew straight away.

"I couldn't believe it when they showed me where they found him. There was a fan but it wasn't on, otherwise he wouldn't be here now. He was a bit dusty. My wife has given him a good wash off. We are keeping him in for a few days to gain some weight.

"He's drinking a lot of water but he is purring away. We are very pleased to have him back."

Mr Hancock said his time in the fire brigade had involved the odd cat rescue, but normally from trees or roofs. Ironically, had garage staff called the fire brigade as they were planning to do, Mr Hancock would have been involved in the rescue attempt.

Ellie Sweet, 36, director of Crash, said her panel beaters and sprayers became a makeshift rescue team, with one getting scratched as he tried to free the terrified Murphy from the flue.

She said: "He was absolutely covered in overspray. He was really dirty and dusty. He was in there for some time as he was really thin. We gave him a piece of ham and the reaction was like a snake. He was so hungry.

"We think he must have chased something and fallen down the chimney flue, about 20 to 30ft. He must have been petrified.

"The tips of his ears were purple as we had painted a Ford KA the day before."