FIRE crews were called out when a stag found itself trapped in a football net in Ambleside.

Two fire engines attended the unusual incident at the football pitches on Rydal Road on Tuesday morning.

The animal was checked over and sedated by vets before firefighters moved in.

Rescuers took it to the ground, lay on it and put a cover over its head to help keep it calm before the netting was cut away from the antlers.

Once freed, the stag, which was unharmed, got up and ran off into the nearby woods.

Jamie Coward, station manager responsible for Kendal, said it was the first time he had ever been called out to such an incident in 23 years in the fire service.

He has witnessed a number of unusual scenarios over the years, but one which stood out was the rescue of an iguana and three snakes from a house fire on Hartington Street, Barrow, in 2018.

The reptiles were all saved and oxygen was administered to the iguana.

“We have got animal oxygen masks on all frontline fire appliances,” said Mr Coward. “It’s not just human masks. If we have pets that have suffered smoke inhalation we can deliver oxygen to them.”

Last year, a jackdaw got caught in some wire on an aerial in Ulverston.

“The homeowner thought someone was breaking into the house,” said Mr Coward. “They could hear the banging on the aerial. They went outside and saw the jackdaw in distress.”

The bird was freed by firefighters and handed over to the RSPCA as it had injured its leg.

In January of this year, a fox was rescued from the United Utilities wastewater treatment works on Rampside Road, Barrow, after it became trapped in an empty tank.

Curious rescues are not just limited to those involving animals, however, with a child of around 18 months getting his head stuck in a potty-training toilet seat in Barrow last year.

Mr Coward said the seat had to be cut off with a pair of wire cutters and added that the fire service got “quite a few” incidents of that kind.