A KITTEN born with a physical deformity who faced being put down has been given a new shot at life thanks to a charity in Cross Roads.

When he was just a week old, the kitten, now known as "Count William von Tippleover", was taken to a vet to be put to sleep because his head was tilting to one side.

Instead, the vet called Yorkshire Cat Rescue. Staff collected the kitten, and took him to one of their foster homes.

Barbara Brotherton, who has been fostering cats and kittens for Yorkshire Cat Rescue for years, said: “He was only tiny when he arrived, so I settled in for the long and exhausting process of hand-rearing him, which included night and day feeds every two hours.

“He's a real fighter and a huge character. He's come so far already and now I'm confident that he'll make it.

"He'll always be a bit wobbly and lopsided but it’s nothing that will stop him from living a full life.”

Sara Atkinson, founder of Yorkshire Cat Rescue, said: “Just because a kitten looks a bit different, it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same chance of life as everyone else.

"It's sad that William wasn’t allowed to stay with his mum for those important early weeks, but Barbara did an amazing job in her place."

Barbara added that she has seen an 80 per cent improvement in Count William’s condition since he arrived.

She said: “He now walks perfectly in a straight line but when he tries to turn, things go a little pear-shaped and he falls over. But with practice, he’ll get the hang of changing direction."