Fire crews rescue runaway hamster

This is the Houdini hamster who had to be rescued by firefighters after escaping from its cage only to become wedged in a water pipe.

Blue the hamster gave her seven-year-old owner Xsia Blair a birthday surprise when it made a bid for freedom at the house in Larkin Close, The Scotlands, Wolverhampton.

Xsia's mum Serena Gordon, 27, said the pet's cage was now secured after Blue forced its way out between the bars.

When the family noticed Blue was missing on Tuesday, they searched high and low before hearing scratching inside a mains water pipe under the kitchen sink.

Fallings Park firefighter Ian Poyner came to the rescue with two colleagues. He unravelled a curtain tie to pull the pet to safety — watched by St Mary's Primary pupil Xsia and friends who were at the house for her birthday party.

Crew commander Carl James said: "In Ian's 13 years of service, this is his third hamster rescue."