Three kittens were left abandoned in a bag outside a Lewisham animal shelter on Wednesday.

Receptionist Louise Elliot from the Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Lewisham Way, luckily spotted the silver and black bag returning from her lunch break.

She asked those nearby if it belonged to them but then heard cries coming from inside the bag and found three kittens huddled together.

She said: “It’s heartbreaking really to have found the kittens left in a bag like that. We try not to judge but we’re a centre and we don’t expect people to just leave cats outside our door so they’re lucky we found them when we did.

"If it was a day like yesterday they could have been left in that bag covered in their own urine for hours in the heat before anyone would have gone on their lunch break or left to go home before finding them.”

The trust has since named the seven-week-old kittens after types of bags – the two males have been named Duffel and Satchel and the black and white female is called Tote.

Rescue and re-homing manager Lesley Mills said: “We’re desperate to try and trace the mother cat to get her neutered to avoid this happening again.”

The kittens are in good health and are being cared for by the trust.

For adoption information contact 020 8694 6545 or lesley@celiahammond.org