Firefighters had to carry out a daring pet rescue after they were called to a house blaze.

Four cats, two dogs and a rat were rescued from the house in Linnet Close, Shoebury, and firefighters had to give one of the cats oxygen because it had suffered smoke inhalation.

The owners returned home as firefighters were tackling the blaze at 10am yesterday.

Eagle-eyed neighbours alerted the emergency services after they saw smoke billowing from the roof.

Station officer Rudy Jackson, of Southend fire station, said: "The washing machine had caught light and the fire quickly spread into kitchen cupboards.

"There was quite a lot of damage to the kitchen but nobody was hurt."

Published Friday, April 11, 2003

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