A pregnant horse was rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped in a swamp in east London.
The escaped pony, named Apple, fell into the muddy bog in Beckton on Thursday.
Her owners tried to pull her from the ditch, off Jenkins Lane, but were forced to call 999 when the five-months pregnant horse began to struggle.
London Fire Brigade crew members used harnesses and brute strength to pull the horse from the mud in the early hours of the morning.
Watch manager Emma Carr, from Bethnal Green fire station, said: “It was a difficult job for crews. Apple was stuck in the water and mud with, at times, just her head above it.
“Due to the location she was in, it was difficult for crews to reach her so we had to use strops, mud paths and our physical strength to pull her out as you couldn’t have got any machinery down to where Apple was.”
She added: “If you notice an animal in distress, the first thing to do should be to call the RSPCA if you see an animal in difficulty. If assistance from firefighters is required, the RSPCA will call us.
“However in this instance, Apple’s owner was right to call the Brigade for our assistance to help release her from the swamp.”
