Mallard stuck in river drain in Leeds rescued by fire crews

Inspector Joanne Taylor, from the RSPCA, captured the moment the bird was freed on camera

A mallard has been rescued by fire crews after getting trapped in a river overflow drain in West Yorkshire.

The bird was rescued from the River Aire in Leeds on Wednesday after a member of the public spotted its predicament and called the RSPCA.

Inspector Joanne Taylor said a crew member from West Yorkshire Fire Service climbed down a ladder and removed the heavy metal grate.

She said the bird was in "such a flap" it had to be coaxed out.

Describing the incident, Insp Taylor said: "Once he had opened the drain cover, he [the fire fighter] tried using a swan hook to try and catch the bird.

"But in the end, he had to go inside the grate to get it out."

She praised the efforts of fire crews and the "keen-eyed" member of the public who raised the alarm.

"It was very difficult to see the trapped bird and it would have starved to death if the incident had not been reported to us," she added.

Insp Taylor said the mallard appeared to be in good health, adding that it "was great to see it fly off" after its ordeal.