TWO lucky Yorkshire Terriers have been rescued from a narrow ledge 20ft above shops.

The pair had climbed out of the window of their flat after their owner left it open and went out.

Anxious passersby spotted them high above the ground in Langney Road, Eastbourne, at about 2.30pm on Monday.

They had walked along a ledge above the parade of shops and could easily have fallen to their deaths.

Trevor Moule, from Eastbourne Borough Council’s Neighbourhood First Team, came to their rescue.

The frightened dogs were cowering above an awning over Maxfield’s cafe and Trevor seized his chance.

He said: “I was able to use a ladder and coax them to come over to me. One of the dogs took a bit longer but was helped by a freshly cooked sausage that the café provided. They were both OK but a bit shaken.”

Sue Cobb, a spokeswoman for the council, who happened to be near the scene, said: “Rescuing dogs doesn’t come under the normal remit of Neighbourhood First but I know they’re always very helpful so it seemed a good place to start.

“Trevor did a fantastic job to save the dogs otherwise it could have been a tragedy.

“Onlookers applauded him for the successful rescue.

“We took them back to the council’s stray dog contractor and they were put in a temporary accommodation. Luckily we managed to identify the owner who came to pick them up yesterday. The owner said she had accidentally left the window open before going out.”

Sarah Grove, manager of Dogs Trust Brighton, in St James’s Street, said: “I understand why pet owners would want to leave their windows open because they want to get fresh air for their pets.

“As for the Yorkshire Terrier owner, if her dogs don’t normally jump out of windows she wouldn’t think they ever would.

“However, we always recommend pet owners to take extra precautions, and to always think about how to keep your pets safe in your homes. When opening windows, owners need to be careful how much they can leave open.

“Dogs like Yorkshire Terriers are small and they do like to get about. The window should be wide enough to get some air in, but not big enough for an escape.

“There are other means to keep your pets cool without the need to open windows. For example, you can leave cool mats and fans on, and make sure you provide them lots of water.

“Make sure your pets are microchipped and tagged so they can be easily traced in case they get lost.”

Go to theargus.co.uk to see a video of the dramatic rescue.