BEN the puppy had a lucky escape when he went to investigate an interesting smell.

The 12-week-old Labrador gave his owners Paul and Barbara Bell a scare when got his head and paws jammed between a drainpipe and a wall.

Numerous attempts to free the little Labrador proved fruitless leaving a panicking Mrs Bell no choice but to phone 999.

Four firefighters attended the scene on Saturday and used specialist equipment to free the much-loved family pet.

Mrs Bell, 46, of Middle Gate, West Denton, Newcastle, said it was a frightening experience.

The medical secretary said: "I'd taken Ben out into the garden so he could have a run about while I read my book.

"Suddenly, I heard him yelping. I jumped up because I thought he might have been hit by a falling rake or something.

"But I saw him with his head and front two paws wedged between the metal drainpipe and the wall of the house.

"I tried to move him but he was yelping every time I tried, so I shouted for my son. The neighbours came round as well because they'd heard me shout. We really couldn't budge him. He was wedged in there.

"I started to panic because Ben was getting really distressed and we couldn't do anything. At one point, I was holding his head and my husband was holding body as we tried to support him.

"Our neighbour rang 999 and the fire crew arrived."

Although it only took the firemen less than ten minutes to free Ben, who has lived with the Bells for around four weeks after being unwanted by a previous owner, they ended up cracking the drainpipe as they forced it away from the wall.