Manchester firefighters saved a one-ton shire horse after rescuing it from certain death after it became trapped in a pond in Radcliffe.

The firefighters, from Broughton and Heywood, were called to Scotson Fold Farm after Jeremy, a one-ton gelding shire horse, got submerged up to his neck for more than three hours and was unable to escape from the pond.

The crews, alongside experts from the RSPCA had to use specialist equipment to free the animal, while Jeremy's owners, Jenny and Jayen Renshaw, and his best friend, a donkey called Misty watched on.

Jayen said: "I stood back I can't handle seeing him being moved around, it was a close call. The vet gave him a lot of antibiotics and stuff to calm him down. He's an old guy - he's 27 years old.

"Misty was standing over there with him. I think she had to turn away at times too! They're like little and large - they're best buddies."

Station Manager, Kevin O'Connor said: "It was up to its neck in water and suffering from hypothermia.

"It kept trying to spin in the water every time we got ready to pull it up it would turn round. It was very close to dying, but the donkey never left its side.

"We also had to protect the owners of the horse from danger, it was lucky no one broke their leg."

Jeremy also had to be rescued a number of years ago, after he got stuck in the canal, and firefighters were required to free him on that occasion too, his owners said.