Firefighters rescue stuck dog in Fishersgate

Mandy Hollick was walking her four-year-old Lab Terrier cross, Alfred, along the seafront, before letting him venture into the bushes on the embankment.

Mandy, from Hangleton, said: "My dog loves to hunt. He had a long lead on so I let it go a little bit into the bushes but not far.

"He always comes back but, just as we were about to go home, he went a bit further and the lead slipped out my hand. He couldn't get back."

The lead had got tangled in the branches and Mandy was unable to bring her dog back to safety.

"Another dog walker suggested we call the fire brigade," Mandy said.

Three firefighters, from a technical rescue team, responded to the emergency call.

West Sussex central operations group station commander, Roy Barraclough, said the embankment was 'very steep' but it was a 'fairly simple, straightforward' rescue mission.

He added: "One of the guys [Rob Negus] was lifted down on the end of the rope and he was able to get hold of the dog and pull it out.

"He was a friendly dog and they brought it back to the road and the lady was very grateful."

Mandy said she was 'very relieved' and 'very thankful' to everyone who helped.

She added: "When he [Alfred] was rescued, he just wanted to go straight back down there. Just like dogs do."