An eight-year-old girl is heartbroken after fireworks that were set off in the middle of the night literally scared her bunny to death.

The young animal lover and her three-year-old brother, have been caring for two rabbits Bella and Ralph for nine months, as well as the baby rabbit that Bella gave birth to three months ago.

The bunny, who the children simply named ‘Baby Rabbit’ because they did not know the animal’s sex, was put to bed by the sister on Saturday night.

On the morning of Sunday, August 28 they both went into the garden to feed the rabbit family of three. The children’s great auntie, Julie Lloyd-Mullen, said: “The little one had it in his hand and said 'the baby’s dead'.

Lancashire Telegraph: Photo of 'Baby Rabbit'Photo of 'Baby Rabbit'

“She (eight-year-old) was absolutely inconsolable. It was the one they had raised from the start themselves. They had just found him one day after he was born.

“The little one, the three-year-old is not really aware, he was upset but doesn’t fully understand. But the older one she does and she’s heartbroken.”

Julie said that people were letting off fireworks in Oswaldtwistle at around 12.30am for approximately 45 minutes, which is what is believed to have killed Baby Rabbit.

The fireworks happened the same night a shotgun was fired on Monarch Street in town.

Rabbits can go into shock from fear they experience during fireworks, and it causes the body to shut down.

If a rabbit isn’t calmed down, the shock can result in death.

The fireworks took place during the night so the family were asleep.

Julie shared how caring her great niece is and how well she had looked after her rabbits. “She always cared for her rabbits herself,” she said.

“She’s not one to get the pet and then mum has to do everything, she always tended to the rabbits. So she was just devastated.”

The family shared that they were able to give Baby Rabbit a beautiful memorial by burying the pet in the grandparent’s garden.

Julie added: “I hope this is a warning to people to bring their pets inside because, unfortunately, you never know when particular people are going to let fireworks off.”

It is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am except for Bonfire Night, when the cut-off is midnight.

People online shared their condolences with the family with many furious that people are still setting off fireworks ‘at random points of the year without warning’.

With Halloween and Bonfire Night round the corner, Julie is urging people to bring their pets inside to avoid a similar tragedy.