A chimney breast had to be dismantled to rescue a pet hamster which had been trapped for three days.

Sandra Tickle, 55, was distraught when her pet, Billy, disappeared into a small gap beside the bath of her council house.

The inquisitive rodent then made its way through wall cavities until he became stuck in the flue of a chimney breast in Sandra's bedroom.

Billy was lodged in the same spot for three days as Sandra became more frantic, fearing her furry friend wouldn't survive.

Eventually, a Chorley Borough Council workman removed around 15 bricks from the chimney and a bedraggled and sooty Billy was freed.

Mrs Tickle, of Rangletts Avenue, Chorley, said: "I've had Billy for five months and I reckon I've spent a month looking for him on and off.

"He is always escaping. I should have realised he would be trouble when he jumped out of my hands in the pet shop when I bought him.

"I could hear him squeaking and sneezing throughout the night and I just knew I had to do something to get him out of there."

After hearing of Mrs Tickle's plight, the council sent building worker Gary Pill to Billy's rescue.

He said: "It's the most unusual job I've been out to and I must admit I doubted the hamster was there at first."

Mrs Tickle lived up to her name to coax out Billy.

She said: "Gary took out three bricks and said he wasn't there, so I took out my feather duster and stuck it in the gap. That got him squeaking again."

Once freed from his ordeal Billy spent most of the rest of the day drinking water.

A spokesperson for Chorley Council said: "We received a call from a lady in a distressed state saying her pet was trapped inside a wall.

"We were delighted to help and are happy that Billy has been returned to her unharmed."

Mrs Tickle has had to have her chimney breast replastered and is planning to have it repapered next.