Fat rat stuck in manhole cover saved by team of German firefighters

A fat rat which got stuck in a manhole cover has been saved by firefighters in Germany.

The fire service were notified after the female rat was spotted trapped in the entrance to a sewer in the town of Bensheim, and they quickly enlisted the help of the local animal rescue team from Rhein Neckar.

Video shared on social media by the animal rescue team show almost a dozen firefighters joining the professional in helping get the rotund rodent free.

According to the rescuers the rat had gained weight during the winter and this had caused its predicament, with the grate catching on her wide hips.

Once she was free, rescuer Andreas Steinbach told Sky News that the rat "looked back as if to say 'thanks, and yes, I need to go on a diet!'"

The rat escaped unharmed, running straight back into the sewer.