'HEARING dog' Pippa proved herself the heroine of the hour by averting disaster when burglars tried to break into her deaf owner's property.

Though it was her first night as the 'hearing dog' of new owner John Parkin, the golden retriever managed to plonk her front feet on him as he slept, after hearing the sound of intruders breaking in to the garden shed at the house in Barlby, near Selby.

Her actions woke Mr Parkin, who got out of bed and put on the house lights, which scared off the intruders. They fled with nothing.

Mr Parkin said that earlier that day, Pippa was brought home following residential training at the Beatrice Wright Training Centre, at Cliffe.

"She was a little stressed and received a far-from-homely welcome from Charlie, our boisterous, bossy Siamese cat," he said.

"In the middle of the night, Pippa plonked her two hefty paws on us, which is the approved way they (hearing dogs) respond to the alarm clock.

"'Ugh' was our first thought, but this being her first night, we felt something was amiss, if only settling-in problems.

"Up we got and as we put the house lights on, burglars attempting to break in to the garden shed were disturbed and fled empty-handed."

He said he thought: "Nice one, Pippa, thank you."

Mr Parkin is the York Vale branch treasurer of the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People organisation, which makes collections on a charity stall at York District Hospital.

The latest fundraising mission for the charity was a raffle held by the front desk staff at the hospital.

Anyone who can help out the York Vale branch with much-needed donations should fax Mr Parkin on 01757 290382.