A POLICEMAN has been praised for wading into thick mud to rescue a youngster who got stuck while fishing in a pond.

Timothy Rabot, 11, went to the pond near the Harperley Hotel, at Tanfield Lea, near Stanley, on Sunday evening with friends Charlotte and Dominique Skelton to fish with his net.

But he ended up sinking up to his waist in mud at the pond side and had to cling on to a tree trunk to stop himself from slipping further into the quagmire.

Charlotte, who lives next door to Timothy, rode home on her horse to Tantobie to raise the alarm. Timothy's father, Brian, went to the isolated spot but was unable to free him.

The police were called and five officers from Stanley went to the scene.

PC Chris Little, 25, supported by his colleagues, who formed a human chain, ventured into the mud to pull the youngster to safety.

Timothy, a Durham School pupil, was shocked but was otherwise unharmed and, after being checked over by paramedics, was able to return home with his father.

A Durham force spokesman said: "The officers said he was very lucky. But for that tree trunk supporting him he could have been in very severe difficulties. The lad was fishing and got into difficulties and got deeper into the mud.

"PC Little had no idea what he was getting into when he went into the mud. His insurance was that he had colleagues hanging on to his belt to stop him sinking.

"The officers behaved exactly as we would have expected them to. The boy was distressed and as they were the first on the scene they took action to get him to safety as soon as possible."

The spokesman added that the incident highlighted the risks youngsters run if they play near water.

"It emphasises and underlines the attraction of and the danger to children of lakes, ponds and running water - danger that can catch them out," he said.

Mr Rabot said his son had learned an important lesson and that he had been lucky having two friends with him at the time.