Dog fingered over house fire cat killing

Three fire engines rushed to the house on Sutton Road in Hull after a passer-by heard noises and thought people were trapped inside.

Officers found four cats dead, but two dogs, which had been locked in the kitchen, survived as well as a snake.

A spokesman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said their investigator believed one of the dogs could have knocked a dial on an old-fashioned electric hotplate on a work surface. Clothing had been left on it, which then caught fire.

He added: “It was initially reported as a house fire. A passerby heard noises and assumed there were people inside.

“There was really severe damage to the kitchen.”

The occupants managed to get out before the fire service arrived.