A 13-YEAR-OLD girl has told of the terrifying moment she became trapped in a mud pool at a quarry.

Kirsty Barras, of Lancaster Drive, Padiham, was trapped in the pool at Rakeshead Quarry, off Burnley Road, in Accrington, as she played with a group of friends around 7.30pm yesterday.

Police officers, who were first on the scene, used their police belts as a rope to stop the Ivy Bank School pupil slipping further and stabilise her.

Firefighters then laid ladders over the mud and walked out to pull her to safety.

The incident has sparked a warning by the emergency services to East Lancashire youngsters to stay away from quarries during the summer months.

Fire crews believe the children got into the quarry through a broken fence.

Kirsty, who was with seven friends at the time, said: "We were just messing around and I needed to find a short cut home. It looked like hard ground so I started to walk across and my foot started sinking and someone shouted to get out and it covered my waist very quickly. I didn't think I was going to get out.

"A passer-by came over and told me to lie down but my leg was twisted so I couldn't. The police tried to get me out and then the firefighters arrived. I was really shocked. I won't be going back there again. I just want to say thank you."

Kirsty's mum, Tracey, 40, said: "I felt sick because I didn't know she had left the estate.

"I just want to thank the emergency services for getting her out.