A STOWAWAY kitten that took a death-defying journey from France to Amersham beneath a car bonnet is up for an award to celebrate his incredible story.

The Rescue Cat Awards, nicknamed the "feline oscars", celebrate true tales of survival, bravery and heroism in the cat world.

Seven-month-old Lucky, from Amersham, is one of four cats in the running for the Most Incredible Story category, and will then be in the running for the overall Rescue Cat title.

Lucky survived the gruelling three-day trip from Brittany, France to England, when he hitched a ride in the car of Audrey and Alan Plumpton, who were returning from their holiday in Missillac.

He was found back at the family home in Stubbs Wood.

Mrs Plumpton said: "When the time came to return home, we packed our belongings into the car and made the 280-mile journey back to Amersham by car and by ferry, including an overnight stay along the way.

"Upon our arrival home, we heard the cries of an animal from underneath the bonnet and opened it to discover one of the feral kittens staring back at us."

After they discovered him, the couple immediately contacted the RSPCA, who safely retrieved the kitten from under the car bonnet.

Mr and Mrs Plumpton named the intrepid stowaway Lucky and paid for his six-month stay in quarantine before adopting him.

The awards are organised by Cat Protection, a cat welfare charity, and will be held on Friday, August 1 at the O2 Arena in London.