A dog called Teddy has helped save the life of a five-year-old boy in Bangor, Co Down.

Teddy raised the alarm in the Duffy household yesterday after Reilly locked himself inside a tumble dryer in the utility room and the machine was activated.

When the dog spotted what had happened, she rushed upstairs, barking loudly where Reilly’s mother Gillian Gedge-Duffy was hoovering.

She came downstairs and saw her son in the tumble dryer.

The little boy was taken to the Ulster Hospital in Co Down with burns to his back, arms and head.

Pet dog hailed hero after alerting Co Down family their five year old son was trapped in a tumble dryer. pic.twitter.com/JRBmkK44Di — RTÉ News (@rtenews) November 14, 2016

Reilly, who has Down syndrome, is in good spirits, according to his family.

"He is a lovable wee fella," said Reilly's father, Aaron Duffy. "He is always smiling."

"You always have to try to keep an eye on him because he is forever hiding himself in the wardrobe and doing things.

"Reilly has survived many adventures in the past. He received life-saving heart surgery at the children's hospital in Crumlin. We were delighted to do some fundraising for it and a room there is named after him."

"What concerns me about this situation is the tumble dryer started automatically when the door closed. I want to make other families with young children aware of what happened."

According to Aaron, this is the second time that Teddy has saved the family. Recently she alerted them that an iPhone charger was going on fire in an adjoining room.

Teddy is a two year-old female cockapoo, a cross-breed dog; a mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle.

"Teddy will be getting a fillet steak tonight," Aaron added.

Reilly's parents and siblings Sophie, Sasha, and Freddie have been with him in the Ulster Hospital today and hope he will be home, and reunited with Teddy, later in the week.