Image caption Sunny, Summer and Sunshine were found in a tied-up bin bag on a coastal path near Porthcawl, Bridgend

A trio of kittens have been rescued from a bin bag after being spotted by a holidaymaker's curious chihuahua dog at a south Wales seaside town.

Named Sunny, Summer and Sunshine by a rescue centre, the cats were discovered on a coastal path at Rest Bay in Porthcawl, Bridgend county.

The seven-week-old cats were suffering from heat exhaustion after being dumped in the blazing summer sun.

Rescuers called the incident "particularly appalling".

Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more cats and kittens being cruelly abandoned Molly Hughes, Cat Protection League

The kittens were cared for overnight by the holidaymaker, before being handed over to staff at the Cats Protection Bridgend Adoption Centre.

"We believe these kittens were found soon after being abandoned and thankfully don't seem to have suffered any long-term effects from their ordeal," said the centre's deputy manager, Molly Hughes.

"Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more cats and kittens being cruelly abandoned."

The centre said it now takes in 1,000 unwanted cats and kittens a year and has urged people to make sure they get their cats neutered.

"One unneutered female cat can produce up to 18 kittens a year so neutering really will help to reduce the number of kittens that are brought to the charity or dumped," added centre manager Sue Dobbs.