Shock as man told 'there's a cow in your pool'

Ian Blackburn was not expecting the knock on the door

A man who was told a pregnant cow was stuck in his swimming pool said he was over the moon after a successful rescue attempt.

The cream of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service was sent to a property in Ketton, Rutland, on Monday after the cow "checked herself in for a spa day".

Ian Blackburn said he was on the phone to a friend at the time when a neighbour informed him of an unexpected visitor at his home.

The heifer has now been returned home, and is said to be "fit and well".

Firefighters were called to Rutland to ensure the cow was rescued

Mr Blackburn said a normal Monday took a drastic turn after the unplanned visit.

"The doorbell went - I was on the phone at the time to a friend - and Andy the farmer was at the door," he said.

"As I opened the door he said 'have you looked in your pool recently?', and I said 'no, why?', and he said 'well, there's a cow in it'.

"It's not every day that you spend three or four hours trying to recover a beast from the pool."

After firefighters drained the pool and used a harness to lift her out, the cow was checked over by a vet to make sure she and her calf were healthy before she was returned home.

The cow had to be lifted out of the pool with a harness