A DOG which had become stuck was rescued by firefighters in an incident earlier today.

May, an old English sheepdog, was rescued after she became stuck in the mud in Heybridge.

Essex Fire crews from Maldon, Chelmsford and their Urban Search and Rescue team were called to the scene at 3.30pm today, September 23.

On arrival, crews reported a dog was stuck in the mud after having a swim in the River Chelmer.

Two people had attempted to rescue her but were unable to reach her and called for help.

May had managed to get herself on to an island and crews worked to rescue her.

Water rescue-trained firefighters worked with colleagues from the coastguard to rescue May by 5.50pm.

After the incident, the now muddy May was left in the care of her owner.

Watch manager Martin Cable, of Maldon Fire Station, said: “It’s not just fires we get called to, we’re a fire and rescue service and we’re often called to rescue animals.

“If you see an animal in distress in the water or mud, please dial 999 for help and do not try to rescue them yourselves in case you start to struggle too.

“This was a great partnership effort to rescue May with our colleagues in the coastguard and our ambulance colleagues who remained on scene in case anyone needed help.”