A litter of tiny kittens were saved from certain death after being found in a skip.
The trio of tabbies were found aged only a few weeks old sheltering under a mattress in Galashiels, Scottish Borders.
The feline family were too young to survive having been separated from their mum.
The skip had originally been stationed at Duns industrial estate where it was used for discarded household items, before being transported to Galashiels to be processed at a waste transfer station.
Sharp-eyed Scottish Borders Council staff spotted the tiny cats and put them in the care of the Scottish SPCA.
After the unexpected discovery, the kittens were taken in overnight by driver Willie Hay before being handed over to the Scottish SPCA in Edinburgh the following day.
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Willie said: "We get quite a lot of animal encounters in this job, but nothing like this.
"We couldn't believe our eyes.
"We spotted them straight away in amongst all the rubbish when we began sorting through it all.
"It's a miracle they survived the journey and were totally unharmed.
"We found them next to an old mattress, which must have kept them safe throughout the journey.
"Happy ending stories like this always create a bit of buzz amongst the staff and a few people have already mentioned they want to adopt them."
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Scottish SPCA chief inspector Sarah Gregory said, "We're so thankful to Willie for spotting the kittens and caring for them overnight.
"The three baby cats are only a few weeks old, too young to have been separated from their mother, so they would not have survived if they hadn't been found.
"The kittens are now in the care of our Edinburgh and Lothians Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre where they will be cared for until they are old enough to be found homes."
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