A YOUNG woman had a miraculous escape from a terrifying car accident while on her way home to Wharton.

Eleri Collins, from Wharton Road, was travelling on the A54 from Chester to Winsford just after midnight on Monday, November 24, when her Peugeot 206 hit a patch of black ice and spun totally out of control.

The car overturned twice outside Cornhill Farm, just outside Winsford, in the frightening crash and Eleri, aged 23, considers herself incredibly lucky to have escaped only with bruises and pulled muscles.

However, now that she has returned to work as a bar manager in Chester, Eleri's concerns have turned to the well-being of her cat who was in the car with her at the time.

She said: "I was coming back from my mum's house in Chester - she had been looking after my two cats while I was in Poland with work.

"The accident was very scary. I remember realising after the car flipped that I was still in the vehicle, but the car was blocking the road and two lorry drivers stopped and helped to get me out with tools they had.

"They realised they had to work quickly because the petrol tank was leaking. They were worried it could explode.

"But I looked around and one of my cats, Socks, was missing. Oscar, the other cat, was completely unharmed. Socks must have been terrified and got out there as quickly as he could.

"I have had Socks since he was a kitten and he is three and a half years old now. I've driven past the accident scene on my way to work now a few times and every time I pass it I look for him."

If anybody has seen Socks - a grey and white, longhaired tomcat - they should contact Eleri on 01606 593483.

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk