SPECIALIST water rescuers were called out when a calf became stuck in a canal.

Swift water rescue technicians from Darwen Fire Station were called out to help the distressed young animal at Whittle-Le-Woods, after a woman passing by saw it struggling to get out at Wheelton boat yard.

Firefighters spent half an hour trying to help the animal out of the water and called on the farmer who owned the calf to help coax it out at 2pm on Friday.

The animal was eventually reunited with its mother after fire crews helped pull it clear with ropes.

Watch manager Tony Hartley said: “It was going the wrong way so we helped to turn the calf around and swim to a point where he could get out.

He was quite frightened with so many people around in our strange costumes so we asked the farmer to come down as we pulled it out.”