Firefighters from Darlington and Bishop Auckland successfully rescued a bull who had become trapped in the River Tees in Darlington.

It wasn't a typical day for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service when they were called this weekend, to rescue a bull.

One crew from Darlington and two crews from Bishop Auckland were called at 2.26pm on Sunday, April 7 to help a bull stranded in the Blackwell area of the River Tees in Darlington.

The Firefighters were able to work with Richmond Fire Appliance & Water Rescue Unit from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to help save the bull who was stuck on the riverbank, submerged in deep mud.

The Scottish Farmer: Firefighters used a lot of man power to rescue the trapped bull

Struggling to lift the bull manually from the water, extra help from specialist animal rescue equipment and aid from the farmer was required to lift the animal out of the water.

After some serious heavy lifting the crews were able then leave the scene at around 4.45pm as the Blackwell bull was returned safely back to the dry land.

As the crews left the tired bull was resting after his muddy ordeal.

Darlington Blue Watch Crew Manager, Jaycie Hall, said: “We managed to get a rope around the neck of the bull and get it to the riverbank.

“An appliance from Richmond arrived and water technicians got in and we tried to manually get the bull out but couldn’t.

“Two appliances from Bishop Auckland were also called to the scene.

“With their animal expertise and animal rescue equipment, used in conjunction with some working at height techniques, we were able to pull the bull free of the riverbank and away from danger.

“The farmer was also in attendance and helped us out.

“After a little rest, the bull was up and about as we were leaving the scene.

“The river was very flooded and swift moving, and all the riverbanks were deep mud, so it was quite a challenging job.

“We were very happy to be able to rescue the bull successfully.”