A DONKEY had to be pulled free by the fire brigade after it was trapped in a mud pool at an animal sanctuary near Whitby.

The animal became stuck in the mud in a field at Whitby Beach Donkeys, a sanctuary at Sleights, and could not free itself.

The donkey became caught overnight between Monday, 6, and Tuesday, 7, April, and it was found trapped up to its haunches in the mud.

Two firecrews from Whitby were dispatched at 8.16am on April 7 to the site near to Coach Road.

The fire teams used shovels and manpower to free the 23-year-old donkey which was clear of the mud by 9.42am.

The shocked animal was checked over by a vet and found to be cold but otherwise uninjured.