It took a chain of four police officers and the quick thinking of two little sisters to save lucky Timothy Rabot from drowning in a pool of mud.

Timothy, 11, had decided to go fishing with his net at an isolated pond quarter of a mile from his home.

The pupil at the private Durham School, was accompanied by Charlotte Skelton, also 11, on her chestnut horse, Star, and her nine-year-old sister Dominique, who was on foot.

Timothy, who was wearing wellingtons, found himself unable to get out of the muddy pond near Harperley Hotel, Stanley, County Durham.

Charlotte rode Star the quarter of a mile back home to the village of Tantobie to alert her mother, Helen, and Timothy's dad, Brian, who lives next door.

The pair raced to the scene but were unable to free Timothy, who was by now becoming distressed. They had no choice but to contact the emergency services.

Charlotte explained: "Dominique stayed with Timothy to keep him company.

She was telling him off because she told him not to go into the water.

"When we got back and we still couldn't get him out of the pond, Timothy's dad phoned the police and four police cars arrived."

By that time Timothy had sunk to his waist in the cloying mud and was becoming increasingly distressed.

Officers from Stanley police station formed a human chain and PC Chris Little, 25, pulled Timothy free.

His mum, Diane, 40, a ICT teacher at Durham High School, said: "He's learned his lesson about the dangers from water.

"We live in a rural area and Timothy loves nature, frogs, birds, butterflies, anything like that. When he saw the pond, it was too big a temptation to resist."

His dad, Brian, 43, who teaches health and safety, added: "Boys will be boys and Timothy is no different. Luckily he was not alone, he was with our neighbour's two girls and Charlotte was able to go and get help on horseback.

"He's been grounded for a week but we think he's learned about the dangers of water. It is an important lesson to learn."

Timothy, who did not seem too distressed by his ordeal last night, said: "I'll be more careful in future, I've promised the police and my mum and dad that."

PC Chris Little stretched out full length on the pond, as the front line in a "human chain" to rescue Timothy, linked with PCs Jane Walton and Liam Pagett and their sergeant.

PC Little, 25, based at Stanley, said: "The boy was wearing wellington boots, which did not help. He was stuck in the mud and he was being sucked under.

"The situation could have been much more serious had we not been notified in time.

"Fortunately, his father found him and contacted us.

The initial call said he was neck deep in the pond, but when we arrived the mud was up to his waist. He was very distressed, quite naturally."

The officers clung to PC Little as he stretched out to grab the child's hand, but it took several minutes to haul Timothy free.

PC Walton, 24, said: "I hung on to the sergeant's legs, he hung on to Chris while Liam had a hold of the boy's other hand.

"It didn't take too long to free him, but he had been stuck in the pond for half an hour before we received the call. We were at the scene in a couple of minutes."