Firefighters called out to rescue a horse stranded in floods got a surprise – when the stricken animal turned out to be a statue.

Fire crews received a call shortly before 7.45am on Wednesday (January 11) morning from a member of the public reporting a horse had been seen stranded in flood water.

One officer was sent out to North Road in Ripon, North Yorkshire in search for the equine animal who was reportedly in a spot of bother.

But when the firefighter came across the stranded horse they discovered that the horse seen was actually a statue, which had become surrounded by water.

The fire service was then stood down.

The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a statement on the unusual call-out which said: “An officer attended a report of a horse seen in flood water. This was found to be a false alarm, the horse seen was actually a statue that had been surrounded by flood water.

“No action was required by the fire service.”