An animal charity worker was called to rescue a sheep trapped in a muddy dyke.

The RSPCA was called to rescue the animal in Newenden, Cranbrook, Kent on Monday.

RSPCA Inspector David Grant received a call from a worried member of the public who had spotted the female sheep stuck up to her shoulders.

He said: “I currently have a hire vehicle as my RSPCA van is in for a service and it meant that the only protective clothing I actually had was a pair of wellies and I didn’t have any ropes which I could have normally used to pull her out.

"But the sheep needed rescuing so I just got ‘stuck in’ and went deep into the thick black mud to pull her out.

“When I first saw her she really did look a sorry sight.

"She was well and truly plugged in this horrible thick gooey black mud.

"She was stuck up over her legs and half her back, and it was like quicksand the more she moved the more she got stuck."

Mr Grant climbed in and after about 10 or 15 minutes of hard pulling managed to get the sheep out.

Luckily, the ewe was not injured and after checking her over, she was able to rejoin the flock.

He continued: "Had she remained stuck there she would have died, as she was unable to get out of her situation without help.

“I returned back to the callers home, and they hosed me down as I was covered in mud up to my arms.

"Let’s just say my white shirt wasn’t white anymore!

"I was then back on the road and carried out the rest of my days work, I just had to explain to a few people why I was so stinky. It’s just all in a day’s work for an RSPCA inspector.”