A bad-tempered squirrel drove rescuers nuts when it tried to bite them as they freed it from a manhole cover on a city street.

The red squirrel – described as “uncooperative” by firefighters – had got its head stuck as it tried to nip through a hole in the sewer cover in in the city of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia State, Germany.

A passerby had spotted the trapped tufty and narrowly missed being badly nipped as she tried to free it on Monday, 10th April.

Firefighters spokesman Oliver Koerner said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “The squirrel was very nervous and tried to bite the rescuer out of panic.

“She covered the animal with a scarf to calm it down and called the fire department for help.”

When firefighters arrived they had to remove the cover and try to free the plainly furious squirrel without being bitten.

Koerner explained: “This turned out to be quite complicated as the squirrel was uncooperative.

“In the end, however, the firefighters managed to free the animal.

“It was unharmed and disappeared straight into the nearest tree.”

Four years ago Dortmond firefighters freed another squirrel trapped in similar conditions.

At the time, firemen ended up removing the entire manhole cover and taking it to the vet, with the squirrel still stuck inside.

It was released after vets sedated it and safely removed it from the cover, after which they treated it for minor injuries.

Koerner said: “It could not be determined if it was the same squirrel that had to be rescued from the same situation four years ago.”