A HAMSTER was freed after spending 24 hours trapped behind a cooker.

Firefighters from Lewes was called to a family flat in Lewes at 9am yesterday after it was discovered that the rodent had got itself stuck.

The fire crew from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spent 20 minutes at the scene in Blois Road, Lewes, to free the hamster from behind a built-in cooker.

It is understood the hamster had been trapped there for up to 24 hours.

The fire crew had to unscrew the cooker and remove it to free the trapped animal.

One nearby resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I can’t believe they called the fire service for that.”

This rescue comes after a seagull was rescued after becoming trapped on a third floor balcony on Sunday.

Since the start of 2013 the two Sussex fire services attended more than 650 animal related callouts costing them an estimated £105,000.

However earlier this year ESFRS warned they are considering whether or not to charge people for animal rescues and lift rescues.

The service on the east side of the county attended significantly more than the west over the period.

ESFRS attended 456 jobs while their colleagues from West Sussex fire and Rescue Service attended just 206.

Figures from both fire services include dozens of seagull rescues, mainly birds that were trapped in roof netting.

Unusual callouts included the recovery of a drowned dog from a swimming pool, assisting a horse owner whose horse box opened on the A27 and the removal of a collar from a dog in Brighton.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue told The Argus: “We would always recommend that, if you have a trapped animal, you call the RSPCA in the first instance to get some advice from them.

“They are the first port of call and then we can get involved if necessary.”

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EACH year the fire service has to undertake a variety of unusual animal rescues in the county – more than 650 in total.

Firefighters had to lift a horse to safety after it fell into a swimming pool after escaping through a gate in Heyshott, near Midhurst.

Another horse had to be rescued after the 16-year-old mare got trapped upside down in a ditch in Heathfield.

A rook which had injured its wing had to be rescued after it became stuck in a tree in Southover Street, Lewes.