A HORSE that became rooted in a muddy riverbank was hoisted from the water by firefighters.

Crews crowded around the helpless creature at 8.47am this morning after it got stuck in the River Windrush in Witney.

Working alongside a vet they pulled on specialist gear and waded into the river near Willow Farm, before heaving it out to safety.

Glen Lee of Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service said: "Working closely with the vet and the horse's owner, our firefighters put into practice nationally recognised techniques that allowed the horse to be successfully freed without injury."

The service sent two fire engines, a rescue team and a 4x4 crew to help rescue the animal.