EVIL thugs tried to burn a pet rabbit alive.

Petrol was poured over the animal’s hutch and torched on Tuesday night.

Firefighters were called to the garden of the house in Second Avenue at Fairfield in Bury at 8.35pm but the blaze had been extinguished by the rabbit’s owners.

Ruby, a brown coloured doe, had been pulled from the hutch and had suffered singed fur but no burns.

Watch commander Roy Grundy from Bury Fire Service, said: “This is a despicable attack on a poor, defenceless rabbit. The flames spread to the straw inside the hutch before the rabbit was plucked to safety by her distressed owners. Fortunately, Ruby had suffered only singed fur.

“If anyone knows who did this, then I would urge them to call the police. This was an evil act.”