Picture: Liam Clement

Paper boy Liam Clement rescued a fox caught up in a letter box.

Liam, 16, found the fox hanging upside down from the front door.

The teenager was doing his morning round in Hadleigh, Kent.

Plucky Liam released the fox from the spring-loaded letterbox – only for it to wedge itself between a wall and garden fence.

Liam called South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Orsett.

A team quickly responded.

The fox was patient and well behaved during the rescue – but kicked off after being freed.

Wildlife operations manager Lawrie Brailey said:

“We have no idea how it became trapped in the tight space after it tried to escape.

“However, it was fortunate the animal could not flee because it had suffered injuries which required treatment.”

He added: “The fox was quite good at the start but as soon as he was into the cage he went ballistic.

“He’s a really, really feisty fox.

“Since coming into the hospital, he has been really, really angry.”

Mr Brailey said the fox had a wound, ligament damage and several fractures to five bones in the foot.

The animal was taken straight into surgery and the damaged ligaments were sutured before the leg was put in a splint.

Mr Brailey said: “There’s no sort of timeline for its release.

We’re talking a minimum of two months really.”