A 34-year-old horse got into a bit of a tangle when it got its legs trapped in a fence in Helmshore and had to be cut free by firefighters.

Crews from Haslingden and Rawtenstall, along with an incident support unit from Accrington, attended Torside Hall, off Alden Road, Helmshore, at 7.30pm on Saturday.

Rawtenstall Sub Officer Tony Ashworth said: "We got the call to a horse stuck in a fence and when we got there we were told by the owner that the horse was 34.

"It was lying on its side with its legs stuck in the wire fence.

"We were concerned about the age of the horse so we got bolt croppers and cut the fence away to release it.

"But it was then struggling to get up so we got slings and ropes and helped it back on to its legs."

He said 12 firefighters attended and six were needed to lift the animal back on to its legs.

When the crews left 30 minutes later the horse was grazing and appeared none the worse for its ordeal.