MEET the mischievous moggy who attempted to turn himself into a kitty bank after swallowing a 5p piece.

Vets were stunned to find the silver coin in tiny 10-month-old Jack's tummy after dealing with a number of dogs who had eaten household objects but never a cat.

The discovery was made after owner Debra Leatherbarrow, from Cinnamon Brow, took her kitten to be checked over after he kept being sick.

She added: "He had some blood tests and then an x-ray where they found the coin.

"The vet said it was really unusual for a cat and he had to have an emergency operation."

Debra, who has had Jack since May last year and also has two pedigree cats Tia and Archie, added she was relieved her pet insurance would be covering the bill which totalled £1,500 after a two hour operation at Vets 4 Pets in Latchford.

She added: "The cost just kept escalating but I would have found the money one way or another as there's no way I could have let him die.

"It had started going black around the area in his stomach so we're really glad we took him to the vet when we did."

Debra has kept the coin as a 'souvenir' after Jack has appeared to have made a full recovery from his ordeal but she is now very wary of leaving anything on the floor.

She added: "We're making sure we don't leave anything lying around now and have been working on the living room recently so we have been scared of him finding screws.

"He's like a dog picking things up in his mouth and if you roll a ball of tin foil to him he will bring it back to you.

"I think that's what he must have done this time, picked up the 5p piece to play with and then swallowed it."

But has Jack learned from his mistake?

"No, he's still as mad as ever."