This is the heartwarming moment rescuers freed a tiny kitten that was trapped inside a car engine.

Staff were called to a roadside commercial building in Chonburi, Thailand, after motorist Natkrita Maneekaewngam heard the moggie crying in her vehicle on the morning of September 4.

Mechanics opened her Toyota's bonnet and heard faint meows coming from deep within the engine compartment.

They beamed a flashlight inside and discovered a two-month-old stray with its head wedged tightly in the machinery.

Footage shows one rescuer reaching into the engine compartment with a gloved hand. He spent 20 minutes prying the animal free.

Natkrita said: 'I was about to head out for work when I heard a cat crying. I couldn't find where it was, so I opened the hood and looked inside. That's when I found the kitten and called for help.'

Natkirat has since adopted the feline, which she has named Chao Mom Maem or 'dirty' in Thai.