Good teamwork and a “smooth plan of action” led to the rescue of a calf that had got stuck in a river at Mepal.

Fire rews from Sutton, Ely and Cambridge were called to the incident on Engine Bank at 6.58pm yesterday (Monday June 1).

Wearing specialist in-water kit a crew entered the river to safely release the cow and return it to its herd.

Station commander Clive Allen, one of the officers at the incident, said: “This was a really good joint effort.

“The crews put a smooth plan of action in place to rescue the calf and reunite it with the rest of the herd.”

He also advised people not to enter water themselves to try and help if they see an animal in distress.

He said: “Please think twice and dial 999 to ask for the fire service as we have specialist trained crews that can enter the water safely to carry out a rescue, whether it be an animal in distress or a person in difficulty.”