FIRE CREWS used a large animal rescue unit to retrieve the body of a horse which had died after falling down an uncovered manhole in St Chads Road, Tilbury.

Crews had to remove a large concrete slab to give them access to attach strops to the horses body before using the crane on the Animal Rescue Unit to lift the horses body out. The horse had been lifted out by 19:58hrs

Assistant Divisional Officer Dave Barnard said: "This incident had a sad outcome but thanks the efforts of crews were were able to get the horse’s body out of the hole it had fallen into. We had left it in the care of the owners who are going to arrange for it to be taken to a pet cemetery."