by Lucy Buckland

lucy.buckland@essnmedia.co.uk

Callously dumped in a rubbish bin, these two adorable guinea pigs came within inches of being crushed to death.

Animal rescue workers said it was a miracle the brother and sister survived as they were only rescued after bin men heard rustling and spotted the pair huddled in a cardboard box buried under rubbish.

Now Addison and Montgomery are being fostered by Coulsdon rescue charity Furry Friends, with rescue workers looking to re-home them as soon as possible.

Furry Friends founder Emma Semple, who runs the rescue centre from her home in The Glade, Old Coulsdon, said she had seen an increase in people dumping guinea pigs and rabbits.

She told the Advertiser: "It is disgusting the way some people treat their animals.

"I just don't understand how someone could dump guinea pigs in a rubbish bin."

The pair, who are three-and-a-half months old, are being temporarily fostered in Caterham but Miss Semple needs someone to adopt them permanently.

She wants the pair to stay together. The boy has been neutered.

● Contact Furry Friends on 07973 569371.