A tiny shih tzu puppy was freed from a cage by firefighters yesterday.

The furry puppy had got its paw and mouth stuck in the cage to the distress of its new owners at an address in Seymour Avenue, Ewell.

But firefighters came to the rescue at about 6.45pm and cut the cage with bolt cutters to set the seven week old puppy free.

Firefighter Jo Barnes from Epsom fire station said: "The puppy was very young and the family had only had it for four days.

"They were a bit distraught, but the puppy was loving it."

She said she had assisted in getting dogs out of rabbit holes and small gates before, but this was the first time she had helped free a puppy from a cage.

She said: "At first I thought it was a long haired rabbit. It was the size of a guinea pig."