A CHILD'S pony, trapped in a water-filled ditch, was saved by firefighters braving last week's horrendous weather conditions.

Karen Yaqub, of Moss Side Farm in Astley Moss, noticed her new eight-year-old filly, Echo, was missing when the family returned from a meal last week. Despite the wind, rain and hail Karen and her three sons went out searching the fields in the dark.

Echo was discovered in a water-filled ditch struggling to climb out. At 10pm, after trying to coax her out themselves, Karen called Leigh firefighters to help.

It took two fire crews an hour to winch the scared and shivering pony to safety, but Leigh station officer Geoff Thornley said it was worth every second.

He said: "I am full of praise for my men. Echo would undoubtedly have died within half an hour, she had used up all her energy trying to free herself and was just sitting shaking.

"There was such elation when we got her to her feet and knew she would be okay. This is what the job is all about, it really was a good feeling and they were so grateful."

"We had only had her four weeks, so she didn't know the fields very well. We couldn't have got her out ourselves and I was worried she would die from the cold, even the firemen found it difficult as Echo had given up. When she was freed I took her back to the stable and stayed with her until 1am. She is right as rain now, without a mark on her."