A WARNING has been issued after a man jumped into the river to rescue his dog.

Fire crews were called to Radcliffe after a man followed his dog into the River Irwell yesterday lunchtime.

The man had been walking his dog along the river bank which runs parallel to Sion Street.

Crews have urged residents never to rescue an animal from the water because of "unseen dangers."

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: "We were called at around 12.25pm on Tuesday to Sion Street in Radcliffe to a report that a man had gone into the water to rescue his dog.

"When a crew arrived at the scene the man was already out of the water.

"We gave safety advice to the man at the scene."

One crew from Whitefield attended. They remained at the site for about 15 minutes.

GMFRS also tweeted about the incident: "Yesterday we were called to a man in Radcliffe who had followed his dog into a river. Thankfully he managed to get out as we arrived.

"Please never try to rescue an animal from water yourself. The water can hide unseen dangers and affect even the strongest swimmers."