Sutton United's mascot Jenny the Giraffe had to be rescued after getting trapped inside a makeshift changing room.

The club's 9ft mascot got locked inside a bus inspector's box after making an appearance at the Sutton Green Fair last month.

The mascot had been invited to put on her familiar outfit in the privacy of the red box next to Sutton Green.

The mystery person, who wears the giraffe outfit for the club's home games, was getting into costume with the assistance of keeper John James when disaster struck.

As the two grappled with the huge costume inside the 3ft box, the door to the hut inadvertently shut.

The hut could only be opened from the outside with an allen key, which was inside with the giraffe and her keeper.

The mascot, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We were banging on the windows but nobody could hear us. It was a boiling hot day and in that costume it felt like 100 degrees. John rang his wife, but she didn't answer. We didn't know what to do. It felt like we were in there forever."

John James, Jenny's keeper said: "It was getting hotter and hotter. There was no space, no air and us two in this tiny box. I seriously could not think how we were ever going to get out."

Thankfully, after a flurry of desperate phone calls, Mr James' managed to get in touch with his son, who arrived on the scene and came to their rescue after half an hour in the hot box.

Mr James said: "We managed to pass the allen key through the window to my son and he let us out."

"I would hate to think what the people queueing for the bus thought when they saw a giraffe and a man tumble out of a tiny red bus inspector's box."