Five newborn kittens are in recovery after they were dumped in manure and left for dead in a Norfolk village.

The kittens - who were thought to be about three or four days old when they were discovered - were found by a dog walker on Friday, September 6, in Thurlton.

At the time, the kittens were in a semi-comatose state and left covered in manure beside a cat carrier in a hedge near the village.

The kittens, who have been named Daisy, Heath, Heather, Poppy and Yarrow are now being looked after by Christine Cutts, from Cats Protection, but volunteers have called the act "horrendous".

Lynne Pothecary, who is a volunteer at Anglia Coastal Cats Protection, said: "These kittens are so lucky to be alive, it was a really horrendous act to have just dumped them.

"Two of the kittens were lying prostrate on top of each other while three others had fallen out of their carrier and had rolled down a verge. They were so young that their eyes were still closed and they couldn't walk.

"They were all cold to the touch and weren't going to last much longer in the chilly autumn temperatures," she said.

Since the kittens came into their care, they have been kept warm by using blankets as well as mini-heatpads and have been fed every two hours to get their strength up.

Mrs Pothecary said: "They've opened their eyes now and are starting to explore their enclosure.

"They are all very cute and friendly and we will find them new homes when they reach nine weeks of age and are old enough to be domestic pets."

The volunteer has reiterated the importance of neutering female cats, and urged pet owners to contact Cats Protection's Anglia Coastal Branch.

"The easiest way to avoid unwanted kittens in the future is to neuter pet cats.

"Just one unneutered female cat can produce up to 18 offspring in a year so neutering will drive down the number of kittens that are abandoned in such terrible circumstances."

To offer these kittens a home contact Cats Protection's Anglia Coastal Branch on 0345 371 4202.