MERCURY the mountain pony cheated death when her foal led rescuers to her as she sank into a peat bog.

Her distraught owners had searched miles of forest land after the 30-year-old Welsh Mountain Pony went missing. But it was only when Merlin, born to Mercury 15 years ago, was allowed out of his field that rescuers were able to pinpoint the missing pony.

The foal rushed to the edge of a peat bog at Kielder in Northumberland where he could go no further and started to whinny and stamp in front of owner Pam Nelson.

Pam, 49, clambered down and found Mercury wedged upside down in a hole between two trees. Only one leg was visible above ground and much of her body was sinking into the peat bog.

Her head was twisted upwards allowing her to breathe, but even as firefighters and Mercury's owners struggled to pull her free, she sank deeper into the peat.

Firefighters from the nearby Bellingham station used abseiling ropes and webbing to pull the pony out of the hole.

Pam said: "I would never have found Mercury if it hadn't been for Merlin. He led me straight to the area.

"Even with the fire brigade and a lot of help from our neighbours it took a lot of brute force to free her."

"If Merlin hadn't led us to Mercury I don't think we would have found her in time to save her."