A HEDGEHOG which was trapped two feet below a pipe has been rescued after a four hour mission.

Fire crews, animal rescuers and a team from Severn Trent were called to Severn Road in Stonehouse after an eight-year-old boy spotted the creature - nicknamed Drainhog on Thursday evening.

Five Valleys Hedgehog and Bird Rescue, based in Thrupp, described on Facebook how the hedgehog was rescued.

They said: "We had to deal with one of the most challenging rescues ever last night.

"This poor hedgehog became trapped down a pipe.

"It took us four hours to get him out.

"Luckily for the hedgehog a young lad discovered him after randomly looking down the drain and made his mum call a rescue."

Fire crews tried to dig around the pipe but the animal had wrapped itself around the stopcock, meaning crews could not reach it.

A team from Severn Trent, who drove from Birmingham, eventually cut out the pipe to free the hog.

Kate Goacher, rescue manager at the Five Valleys centre in Thrupp, wished to thank the eight-year-old boy - Joshua Driver-Dickenson - who alerted them to the trapped creature.

The boy was playing nearby when by chance he made the discovery.

"We would never have known the hedgehog was there if it wasn't for him," she added.