Cow rescued after falling in hole

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A cow had to be rescued after falling several feet down a drainage ditch in a Birmingham park.

Firefighters and rangers lifted the animal out of the hole near the children's play area in the Banners Gate area of Sutton Park.

The cow suffered slight injuries to its back and was sedated while it was lifted from the hole, the RSPCA said.

The animal was checked over by the RSPCA and a vet before it was reunited with the rest of the herd.

John Porter, park manager, said he had not known that the drainage ditch existed.

The cow suffered minor injuries to its back when it fell

He said it had been covered with railway sleepers which had become rotten and could not withstand the weight of the animal.

He added: "The area is now safe. Temporary covers and barriers are in place."

The alarm was raised when Eleanor Johnson, who was walking her dog in the park, spotted the animal.

She said: "All I could see was the top of the cow, the hole was so small it couldn't get its head up.

"It was distressed and in a very dark hole. It was a square space for him and he couldn't move."