Seven sheep rescued from river near M1 in Watford die

The waterlogged fleeces weighed the animals down and made them difficult to rescue

A flock of sheep that fell into a river has been rescued but seven out of 16 ewes have since died.

RSPCA officers, firefighters and Highways England workers spent almost four hours trying to save the drowning flock close to the M1, near Watford.

They were spotted by a passing lorry driver on Wednesday and it is thought the sheep may have mistaken overgrown reeds for the riverbank and fallen in.

Rescuers used an inflatable ramp to bring the ewes safely up the bank.

An inflatable ramp was used to help get the flock out of the river

The animals were weighed down by their sodden fleeces and were struggling to keep their heads above water

Kate Wright from the RSPCA said: "Had we not got there when we did, I'm certain the sheep wouldn't have survived in the water for much longer.

"Some of them made fairly quick recoveries and soon returned to grazing in the field but some were very weak and completely exhausted so we kept them wrapped in blankets and did our best to rub them dry.

"The sheep all had sodden fleeces so were extremely heavy to pull out of the river. Many of them were struggling to keep their heads above the water.

"It was so upsetting that some of the sheep died but I'm so pleased we were able to save nine lives."

The charity advises farmers and livestock keepers to regularly check their animals. Defra's code of practice for livestock says they should be checked at least once a day.

The rescued sheep were wrapped in blankets to help dry them off and get their temperatures back up