A STRANDED sheep had a lucky escape after being helped out of a muddy marsh by the RSPCA.

A member of the public spotted the stricken sheep trapped in mud at Otmoor RSPB reserve just north of Oxford and contacted the animal welfare charity.

RSPCA animal collection officer Grace Mead said: "The poor ewe was stuck in the mud up to her chin. She was rocking side to side but wasn’t able to move.

"Thanks to a helping hand from the fire service and a local farmer we managed to free her and she ran off.

"Luckily she wasn’t injured, just trapped and very frightened.

"She clearly couldn’t climb to safety herself so needed a little help to get out of the muddy mess."

The RSPB, which looks after Otmoor, describes it as a 'magical nature reserve of wet meadows and reedbeds'.

The site is a haven in winter for thousands of ducks such as teals and wigeons, and in spring and summer for breeding wading birds, such as lapwings and redshanks.

The reedbed also hosts a spectacular starling roost during the winter months.

Otmoor is also home to a small herd of sheep, who usually manage to steer clear of the marshy areas, unlike this incident which occurred in November.

The RSPCA revealed last month that it is bracing itself for one of its busiest times of year: in December the charity expects to take some 900 calls about animals in some kind of danger in Oxfordshire alone.

Last year it took more than 30 calls from the county on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

If you see an animal you have concerns about please call the RSPCA's emergency line on 0300 1234 999.