Crews from Soham, Cambridge and Ely spent nearly three hours last night rescuing a horse that was stuck up to its midriff in thick clay, in a steep ditch in Qua Fen Common, Soham.

“The horse was suffering from exhaustion but was later released into the heard,” said a Cambs Fire spokesman.

Station Commander Danny Kelly said: “It was a particularly arduous rescue because each time we tried to get the horse out of the ditch it just didn’t have the energy to get itself out so we had to try several different techniques, where we attached strops to the horse, before we could get them out safely.”

SC Kelly praised the Isle Veterinary Group who was present with a vet as well as our crews.

He added: “All the animal training the crews have had really paid off.”