A fox cub that got covered in bitumen and then stuck to a road surface has been released back into the wild after three and a half months of treatment.

Staff from South Essex Wildlife Hospital came to the rescue after the cub was pulled from a container of bitumen by workers on an industrial estate in north-east London in May.

It took more than 30 minutes to free each of the cub’s legs after it was stuck fast to the road, and one leg required extensive surgery.

Releasing the fully recovered fox safely this week, staff wrote on Facebook: “It’s honestly impossible to put into words how much his progress has meant to our team.”