Local fire crews showed that their work involves much more than just fighting fires yesterday after rescuing a horse that was trapped in a ditch in Brown Edge.

Crews were called out to the area yesterday afternoon after receiving reports of the trapped horse.

The firefighters used a tractor to lift the horse out, before it was checked over by a vet in attendance.

A spokesperson for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called at 4.40pm yesterday (Tuesday 9 March) to Lower Stonehouse Farm on Stonehouse Lane, Brown Edge, in the Staffordshire Moorlands, to reports of a horse being trapped in a ditch.

"Crews from Sandyford and Leek attended and assisted a vet who was checking the animal's condition. The decision was made with them to use a tractor and a hobble lift to extricate the horse.

"The horse was safely out of the ditch by 6pm where it was checked over by the vet in attendance."