A couple from Australia have cheated death and it is all thanks to their pet rabbit, Rabbit.

The bunny woke them up and alerted them to a fire in their home in the southern Australian city of Melbourne.

The couple escaped unharmed and Rabbit's owner, Michelle Finn, said they were "extremely lucky to be alive".

She added: "I mean we've lost probably a lot of the important stuff, like personal photos and all of that sort of gear, but we're here."

Nick Beagley of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said: "I've got to say this is the first time that I've ever heard of a rabbit bringing a fire to somebody's attention."