RNLI rescue dog from West Kirby mud flats

West Kirby RNLI volunteers were told the dog was afraid of men, so crew member Ella Marston came to the rescue

A "skittish" dog has been rescued after getting stuck in mud on the beach.

A member of the public contacted the coastguard after seeing the cockapoo's distressed owners on West Kirby beach, Merseyside, on Sunday afternoon.

The dog's owners had come ashore after being told not to return to the beach due to the potentially treacherous muddy conditions.

West Kirby RNLI volunteers were told the dog was afraid of men, so crew member Ella Marston came to the rescue.

A member of the public contacted the coastguard after seeing the cockapoo's distressed owners on West Kirby beach

As an experienced dog handler, she reassured the dog, who was covered in mud and exhausted, before transferring it on the lifeboat and returning it to shore.

Speaking following the call-out, West Kirby RNLI lifeboat deputy launch authority Gary Price said: "It is very easy to become trapped in mud, which can become even more dangerous when you factor in tide.

"In this instance the owners did the right thing by returning to shore to seek support."

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