A hero passerby rescued a cat from the jaws of a python that was trying to eat it.

Marcus Lee had just left food for the neighbourhood moggies when he heard strange rustling sounds coming from a drain in Singapore on October 30.

When he went to check, he was horrified to find a tabby being constricted by a 12ft (4m) snake.

Footage shows Marcus pulling the python by its tail in an effort to make it release the struggling cat.

He said: 'I was expecting to find cats squabbling, but in the drain, I saw one of the community cats with a python coiled around its body.'

The Good Samaritan can be heard panting as he dragged the snake away while the terrified cat cried out.

Marcus stepped on the reptile's body until the feline was finally freed.

He added: 'I watched the python, ensuring it was unharmed. It slid away into the night. A silent, graceful power returning to the earth.'

Before leaving, animal lover Marcus even apologised to the snake, saying: 'I'm sorry, okay snake? I just wanted to help the cat without hurting you. Take care, okay?'

He took the grey tabby to safety and checked it for injuries, but it was unhurt.

Marcus later said: 'I whispered an apology to the snake, hoping it understood and could forgive my trespass for its lost meal.

'Had it been the snake in distress, I would have fought just as fiercely for it. This was not about choosing sides.'

The reticulated python is found throughout Southeast Asia, where they live in forests, swamps, canals and even in cities, causing them to come into conflict with humans. The species is one of the world's largest snakes and can eat humans, cats, dogs, birds, rats, and other snakes.