Firefighters freed a deer which had spent the night in a water-filled ditch after becoming trapped in netting.

Members of the public raised the alarm after seeing the animal struggling to free itself.

It had become entangled near a football field at Wisbech St Mary, near Wisbech.

Eastern Daily Press: Fire fighters carry the animal to safetyFire fighters carry the animal to safety (Image: Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service/Facebook)

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service's incident log said: "At 7.37am on Sunday crews from Wisbech, Dogsthorpe and Stanground were called to an animal in water on Beechings Close in Wisbech St Mary.

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"Crews arrived to find a deer in a water filled ditch entangled in netting. Using specialist equipment firefighters rescued and released a deer.

Eastern Daily Press: The deer which was rescued from a ditch by firefightersThe deer which was rescued from a ditch by firefighters (Image: Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service/Facebook)

"Firefighters cut the net to free the deer and covered it with a piece of sheeting to allow them to carry it back into the field to release it to safety."

Pictures of the rescue were posted on Facebook on Sunday.

The post added: "A good team performance on the pitch."