Snoopy the horse has been rescued after becoming submerged in deep marsh water in Erith.

The fire brigade was called at 9.53am to the incident off Moat Lane, at the junction with Hazel Road.

Snoopy, who is 14 hands high, was up to his neck in thick muddy water, covered in bulrushes. He had been there all night.

Firefighters used mud paths to reach the equine creature, before attaching a harness in their attempts to save him.

He was pulled from the water at around midday.

Soon he was up on his feet and feeding, and was checked over by a vet

Station Manager Barry Wakefield, who was at the scene, said: "It appears that Snoopy had been in the deep muddy water all night and when firefighters arrived it was very close to drowning. 

"Fire crews worked in tricky conditions, crossing a stream and using mud paths to get to the horse out. 

"Snoopy was cold, wet and hungry but it doesn’t seem to have any lasting injuries. 

"Firefighters did a fantastic job and this incident shows how varied our work is."

Fire crews from Bexley and Dagenham attended the scene.