TOP Cumbrian cricketer Ben Stokes has reserved special praise for a team of firefighters - after they came to the rescue of his pet rabbit.

A fire engine was called out to the England star's north east home on Sunday afternoon after his bunny became trapped behind a wall.

After the pet was successfully freed by the emergency crew, the 27-year-old sportsman from Cockermouth wrote a message of thanks of Twitter.

Addressing his 395,000 Twitter followers, the athlete said: "Huge thanks to the lads who came to ours from CDDFRS [County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service] for rescuing our rabbit after getting trapped behind a wall.

"Our kids were more happy having a fire truck on the drive than when they got him out."