A man in his 70s had to be rescued after he got stuck in deep mud when he fell from his boat at Thornham harbour.

The man, who has not been named, was up to his thighs in mud for about 40 minutes late on Wednesday night.

The Hunstanton hovercraft was launched but firefighters were able to rescue the man with the use of ladders.

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn as a precautionary measure.

Tim Edwards, west Norfolk's fire service district manager, said: 'The man had slipped on his leisure boat, which was moored there. He fell over the side and was wedged in the soft mud between the boat and the harbour.

'Another man on the boat had raised the alarm. It took about 40 minutes to get him out, as his legs were well buried into the mud.

'We were able to push air into the mud and the man climbed up on a ladder we put in there.'

Mr Edwards said the man was tired but 'in good spirits'.

'The tide was on our side as it was going out. It might have been different if the tide been coming in,' he added. A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance service said: 'We were called at 10.47pm to reports of a man in the water, who was unable to get out. 'We sent a rapid response vehicle, an ambulance officer and crew. The man was believed to be in his 70s. He received treatment at the scene and taken to the QEH as a precautionary measure.'

Do you know the man who was rescued? Email david.bale2@archant.co.uk