Ripon firefighters called to rescue submerged horse find statue in flooded field

Firefighters were called to rescue a horse stuck in flood water – only to find that it was a sculpture which had been there for four years.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said a concerned member of the public dialled 999 after spotting what they thought was a horse and its rider wading through a flooded field in Ripon.

In a tweet group manager Bob Hoskins said: "An officer trotted off to check out the situation and discovered a statue of a horse in the middle of the field.

"There was 'neigh' further assistance required on this occasion."

The sculpture shows the silhouette of a First World War soldier and his horse.

It was installed in the British Canoeing field in 2018, as part of a programme of events and commemorations marking the centenary of the Great War.

A series of sculptures was placed around the historic town under the theme "fields of mud, seeds of hope".

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