A CAT fell through a 4.5-metre shaft into a basement of St Paul’s Cathedral, where it was rescued by the RSPCA earlier this month.

A schoolgirl who had been playing in the churchyard contacted the animal rescue service after she witnessed the grey Burmese cat slip down a hole near the outer wall of the building, on 2 July, the BBC reports.

The cathedral was closed at the time, but a security officer opened the basement for an RSPCA officer, Sidonie Smith, who climbed down in search of the feline. She was told that the old storage basement had not been entered for 25 years.

Ms Smith said that the girl had “seen the cat run off and vanish underneath a slab of concrete. She was very upset.”

RSPCAA security guard opens the basement

She continued: “There were some steep, narrow stairs down, and it was pitch black where you entered a large chamber, which had lots of corridors attached to it at higher levels. Fortunately, the cat had fallen on to a bed of leaves, and she was largely unscathed. . . She was very nervous and frightened, no doubt through the shock of falling from height, and I had to grasp hold of her.

“She was covered in fleas, and she had a slight graze on her chin, but, happily, nothing was broken, and she was able to move around.”

The cat, later named Paula, had been microchipped. She was treated at an RSPCA animal hospital, and is being looked after until her owner can be found.

The Canon Chancellor of St Paul’s, Dr Paula Gooder, told the Church Times on Wednesday: “I was very pleased that Paula was unhurt, especially given our shared name. We would like to thank the RSPCA and all the team involved for rescuing her. We hope that she is re-united with her owner and provided with a loving home.”