Firefighters had to lift up a double decker bus to rescue a dog after it was knocked over and left trapped underneath.

The black Labrador was hit on Whitefriars Road in King's Lynn last night when it ran away from its owner and into a bus lane.

The black Labrador was involved in a collision on a bus lane off Whitefriars Road in King's Lynn on Wednesday night after it ran away from its female owner.

The veterinary practice treating the animal said it could not disclose any information about its condition after the dramatic rescue.

Firefighters from nearby King's Lynn South were called to the scene of the incident, near the Nar Loop and River Great Ouse, shortly before 8pm. They set to work straight away on freeing the trapped dog.

Sam Pick, watch manager for King's Lynn, said: 'I thought it was dead when we got there because the bus was right on top of it.

'The dog couldn't move at all and was in line with the front wheels. It was just lying there as its owner was talking to it.'

Pneumatic airbags were placed under one side of the bus, which had been carrying passengers before the collision.

They were then inflated to lift the vehicle off the ground enough to allow the animal to be pulled out.

'The dog was bleeding and had injured its front legs and face,' Mr Pick went on. 'But he just looked like a sad old dog.'

The rescue took the fire crew just 10 minutes to perform, while a vet was also called to assist at the scene by a passing member of the public.

'The owner was very grateful. She was just really upset and was hugging her dog,' Mr Pick added.

The dog was taken to the Mill House Veterinary Surgery, a few minutes' drive away on Lynn's Tennyson Avenue.

Staff at the practice later said that they were not allowed to disclose any further information to the media about the injured dog's condition.

The stretch of road where the accident happened is reserved for buses.

It runs through the Nar Ouse Regeneration Area (NORA), along floodbanks which are popular with dog walkers from the nearby Friars and South Lynn, along with the nearby Hardings Pits nature reserve.

• Are you the owner of the dog and want to say thank you to the fire service? Call Luke Powell on 01603 772684