A SHETLAND pony has a new home in Ramsbottom after it was rescued from the middle of a roundabout.

The pony was on the loose in Ewood, Blackburn, and staff from Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary in Edenfield were called to help.

It is believed the two-year-old pony had escaped from a nearby travellers’ camp and was roaming around the area for about two weeks.

The pony was found on a roundabout, and Bleakholt staff said there were signs it had been mistreated.

Police closed off the road while three members of staff from Bleakholt rescued the pony by coaxing it with food.

Sheila Linley, a stable handler at Bleakholt who attended the rescue, said: “The pony had a head collar, which made it a bit easier to rescue.

“It will be here for the foreseeable future. It is a bit nervous and looks like it has been mistreated. We are hoping it will become more confident.”

Staff have named the pony, Tyrion Lanister, after a dwarf in US show Game of Thrones.

Sheila said: “We have had some space at the sanctuary for a while and we said the next animal that came in, we would call Tyrion, because we are big fans of the show.”

Saving Tyrion is the most recent animal rescue mission of several carried out by Bleakholt staff. Last month, members carried out a night-time search to find three lost kittens after a dog walker discovered a cat and three kittens in Edenfield at midnight.

The kittens were found under a box in the middle of Bleakholt Road. The adult cat was caught, but the kittens had escaped.

When word of the runaway kittens was put out on Bleakholt’s Facebook page, volunteers rushed out to help.

It was confirmed just after noon the next day that all the kittens had been recovered and put back on solid foods.