A horse that got itself stuck in a ditch on Tuesday morning had to wait a damp 10 minutes before being rescued by Walton firefighters.

To keep the horse from being spooked by loud noises, Rydens Road was briefly closed at about 9am.

A fire service spokesman said: "It looked well but was a bit spooked."

It is believed the horse made its way out of the field through a broken fence and slipped into the deeper part of the ditch.

Once the horse was led to a shallower point, a bridle was put on and it was led to freedom.