Bailey is stuck next to a live railway line down a 50 foot verge
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BYCONNOR DUNN
19:28, 12 AUG 2017
The owners of a cat stranded down a 50 foot verge next to a live railway line fear it will “starve to death”.
On Thursday the ECHO reported about Bootle family cat Bailey, who is stranded on the edge of a deep railway embankment on the Ormskirk to Kirkdale line.
There was an outpouring of grief and pleas to save Bailey across social media after Network Rail said that a rescue would be too dangerous for RSPCA or firefighters to attempt beside the line which runs down the side of Brewster Street and then under Southport Road on Bootle’s border with Kirkdale.
Since then attempts have been made to save Hollie McCulloch’s cat with ropes being dropped down, people offering to build scaffolding or climb - despite the warnings of it being extremely dangerous.
Here's how you can help to bring missing Bailey the cat back home
Then today a move to lure the pet into a cat trap lined with food, bedding and litter was laid down by Network Rail engineers, who have also sent workers down on two occasions to look for Bailey, but it has all so far been to no avail.
Hollie’s mum today spoke to the ECHO about her “upset and frustration” about what has been going on.
Francis McCulloch says she is scared Bailey is “starving to death because his cry is so weak now”.
The 52-year-old said: “I think he’s going to die and I think he’s hurt. All I want to do is to go down there and get our cat.
“When we first went down his cry was loud and vibrant now it’s so weak"
Cat stranded on 50ft railway embankment is 'too dangerous to rescue'
Network Rail engineers reportedly reached Bailey’s location by driving down the side of the track and through a tunnel.
Francis added: “I’m sure if we went down there with an engineer then Bailey would come out when he heard our voices - it would take five minutes I know it and it would all be over.
“When they drive down in their trucks with headlights on it scares him because he is quite timid.
“He hasn’t been into the trap yet.”
Francis says they have made repeated phonecalls to Network Rail and the RSPCA along with speaking to firefighters on social media who she says have told them they could “go down with thermal imaging cameras to find Baile
It is unclear what the next step forward in rescuing the cat is going to be but Francis says she and Hollie will keep visiting the site and calling out to Bailey so “he knows he is not alone”.
Francis hopes Network Rail offer to take both her and Hollie to Bailey’s location to get him and she is encouraging people not to do anything “dangerous by going down to get him”.
That call is also reiterated by Network Rail who control the embankment and lines.
In a statement posted to Twitter the rail network operator said: “We have searched the track twice today and found no sign of Bailey.
“Anyone who sees her should tweet a photo to @NetworkRail and we will go out again to look for her.”
Hollie previously said: “Bailey normally spends the day out of the house and comes home for her tea at around 6pm on Thursday. When she did not come in my mum and I went looking for her.
“That is when he heard her meowing from the railway embankment off Southport Road.
“It’s just so frustrating. I am worried she will die down there if something is not done soon. I can’t stop crying.”
The RSPCA said on Twitter: "We have been in contact with the owner of Bailey. Network Rail are dealing with the situation and know we are on hand if we are needed."
