17 December 2012 Last updated at 17:17

Dog saved after swallowing Christmas fairy lights

A dog has been saved by vets after swallowing his owner's Christmas lights in Southampton!

Charlie's owner became worried after noticing bits of wire in the seven-year-old crossbreed's poo.

X-ray shows the fairy lights in Charlie's stomach

An X-ray cast light on the problem - tangled remains of fairy lights inside Charlie's stomach.

Vets rushed to perform life-saving surgery on Charlie, who's now back home and fully recovered.

Charlie had also eaten a shoelace

It's not the first time Charlie's eaten something he shouldn't have!

Owner Sharon Fay recalled: "Back in March he ate one of my scarves and needed an operation to remove it, but I thought it was just a one-off."

Vet Sophie Bell from animal charity PDSA said: "Over the years I've seen plenty of cases of dogs swallowing strange objects - socks, dummies, rubber ducks.

"But it's the first time any of us have treated a dog that has actually eaten fairy lights."

PDSA is advising pet owners to be extra cautious this Christmas and to keep things like festive decorations and toys out of reach.