FIREFIGHTERS spent three hours rescuing a pair of dogs which got stuck down a rabbit hole.

The inquisitive Jack Russell cross breeds - named Lucky and Coco - were out with their owner Janette Cockayne in Rainford when they disappeared underground.

Janette, 49, said: “I knew something was wrong when they didn’t come out after 45 minutes.

“At the time I didn’t know what to do. It was dark and I was on my own. I was frightened but I couldn’t leave them.

“I could hear the younger dog distressed and crying.”

She called the fire service at Parr Stocks along who attended along with the Search and Rescue team.

They used ropes and cameras to locate the dogs which were trapped in the tunnel system under a disused railway embankment.

Part of the tunnel had collapsed so they had to be dug out. Both were released unharmed after firefighters spent three hours rescuing them.

St Helens fire chief Chris Case said: “This was fantastic work by the firefighters. It demonstrated our specialist capability in carrying out search and rescue in confined spaces.

“It is one of the types of special service calls that we attend as we have the specialist skills to deal with incidents such as this.”

Mrs Cockayne added: “I was just really grateful. I was so relieved. I was so anxious at just the thought of losing them.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do anything on my own. I was just so grateful to get them back.”