Radio DJ rescued from River Thames after saving dog

Capital FM presenter Jordan North was rescued on the River Thames after saving a dog struggling in the water.

The RNLI said North had been on a run when he spotted the labrador in the water near Hammersmith Bridge in west London on Monday at 17:05 GMT.

A member of the public alerted authorities and the lifeboat crew from Chiswick RNLI found the DJ sitting on a nearby float lift with the dog. Members of the public held up phone torches to help the RNLI locate him.

"A big thank you and a massive shout out to RNLI Chiswick who came and rescued me because I was getting a bit panicky," North told listeners on his breakfast show.

The 34-year-old former Radio 1 presenter from Burnley added: "I was getting a bit nervy as well because I thought my legs are going to go, I can't hold on much longer so they got there just in time.

"The real heroes here are the RNLI who came out and got me, put a blanket round me. They're the heroes."

RNLI Thames commander Gavin Simmons said: "We are on call to help all those who find themselves in difficulty on the water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, even our beloved pets.

"While we'd always encourage people to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard instead of entering the water themselves, we're happy that in this instance we were able to help Jordan and the dog safely back to dry land."