Fire crews worked for two hours to rescue a horse which had become stuck in a ditch half a mile from the nearest road.

The young mare was discovered half submerged in a ditch behind the Riding for the Disabled stable in Upper Beeding, near Steyning, last night.

Firefighters from Steyning, Worthing, Shoreham and the specialist animal rescue unit from East Grinstead were called to the scene, near Pound Lane.

Crews worked with a vet and volunteers from the stable to free the horse.

The operation was made more difficult because she would not stand up and had to moved by a combination of a trailer and dragging.

Afterwards the mare was examined by the vet, who predicted she would make a full recovery.