Animal welfare chiefs were astonished this week when six tiny kittens were left abandoned – on the top deck of a number 5 bus!

Celia Hammond, whose dedicated staff are facing a daily battle to care for abandoned animals, said: “It is simply unbelievable in this day and age that something like this can happen.

“The kittens were in distress as they have been parted from their mother and she will be in distress as well.”

Celia and her team at the Celia Hammond Animal Trust in Barking Road, Canning Town, began caring for the kittens after a young woman brought them in.

She made the surprise discovery as the bus, which runs from Romford to Canning Town, was making the final leg of its journey.

“They were all inside a very distinct cat basket which is white with a blue top and red marks on it.”

The kittens, about four weeks old, have been lovingly fed and saved by the team.

They have also been nurtured by a different mother cat that was found abandoned in Newham shortly after giving birth herself.

The Trust are trying to find the owners and urgently need to find people who can give the kittens homes.

“We can’t treat cats this way, the problem is getting out of hand,” said Celia.

The bus company, Stagecoach, was alerted after the kittens were dumped, and trawled through CCTV to try to get a clue to who left them.

If you can help Celia’s trust by volunteering, offering a home to the kittens, or with donations of anything from cash to blankets and smilar items to help with care of animals, please contact (020) 7474 8811, or visit Celia’s website – www.celiahammond.org.