AFTER digging for hours, firefighters were about to abandon their search for Digger until they heard the terrier barking from the ground beneath their feet.

The family pet had become stuck in a fox’s hole five hours earlier in fields off Shillingford Road, Shillingford, just outside Wallingford, and Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service’s search had so far been fruitless.

And when they were called to the scene at about 8.50pm on Friday, August 26, Digger’s family had already been trying to find him for three hours. But when a firefighter heard Digger’s faint yelps he was dug out and reunited with his family.

Firefighter Natalie Fenemore said: “We were digging away for hours and hours. We located the tunnel but it was going off into hundreds of different tunnels.

“At about 10.30pm we were about ready to pack up, which was heartbreaking. As we were getting ready I just heard a little yapping.

“I cannot explain the feeling when we heard him. It was brilliant.

“When he came out he was hyper as anything. He wanted to give us all a kiss. But I think he was quite shaken up.”