Dog saves family from house fire

A pet dog has been hailed a hero after saving a family of four by raising the alarm when a fire broke out.

Seven-month-old Fudge, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, raised the alarm at the semi-detached house in the Ravensdale area of Mansfield on Friday.

Two young children were led to safety after the dog started barking and climbed on a bed to wake their mother.

Sharon Dennington said she and her partner were asleep and they are grateful Fudge came to the rescue.

She said: "She was barking and she'd got my hair in her teeth.

"I noticed there was all this smoke coming through my bedroom, and she was telling me really, there was something going off.

"If it wasn't for the dog we wouldn't be here today."