HOUDINI Jack Russell terrier Bart decided to make a bid for freedom from the garden at her pub home and ended up on the neighbour's roof.

How the seven-year-old managed the great escape is a mystery to her owners at the Hargreaves Arms, Burnley Road East, Lumb, but they are just grateful to the fire brigade for rescuing her.

Landlord Philip Maybury said: "I had just put a fence around the back garden because neighbours had said Bart and our three other dogs had been getting out and into neighbouring gardens.

"How she managed to get from the garden on to the roof is a mystery to us all."

Philip and landlady Vera Usher have been running the village local for a month and they are delighted with their move from Halifax to Rossendale.

But when Vera's daughter Gillian went to get the dogs in from the back garden yesterday she realised Bart was missing.

The 14-year-old spotted him in the guttering on a neighbour's roof at 1am and called for help.

Philip said: "We initially called the fire brigade who advised we speak to the RSPCA.

"Vera's son Simon tried to get up there with a ladder but there was no chance it was too risky and too slippery.

"Then the neighbours came out and said they couldn't get to sleep because Bart was whining on the roof so the fire brigade were called again.

"They put a ladder up and I went up with them and brought Bart down."

Firefighter Andy Hayhurst, from Rawtenstall, also went up to rescue Bart and the wayward pet was none the worse for her ordeal.

Philip added: "We are still trying to work out just how she did it!"

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