A team of specialist firefighters who dealt with the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami have been back in action helping to rescue a puppy stuck in a drain pipe.

A cover to an outside drain had been left off for cleaning when Jack Russell puppy Tiny, dived into the murky water at a house in Bucks Cross Road, Northfleet.

The puppy, since renamed Lucky, proceeded to wriggle round the U-bend getting trapped in a narrow undergound pipe, about 3in wide.

Thames-side firefighters (pictured right) called in the Urban Search and Rescue team from Maidstone, which has seen its members head to Japan to look for casualties after the tsunami.

Crews smashed through concrete to free the trapped pup.

They gave Lucky, who comes from Maidstone, oxygen (shown above) and a rub-down and he seemed none the worse for his ordeal.