SPECIALIST rescue teams, a Royal Marine landing craft and the RSPCA were involved in a 999 operation this week after a pony became stranded on a cliff at Rame Head.

Line rescue crews from Bodmin Fire Station, along with a support crew from Torpoint, assisted specialist line rescue crews from the RSPCA in saving the moorland pony which was stuck 70 metres down the cliff at about 11am on Wednesday. A fire brigade spokesman said the joint approach to the pony rescue saw two firefighters and one RSPCA crew member lowered down the almost sheer cliff face to the animal, which had been stranded on a ledge since the weekend.

'It is unknown how the pony got stuck on the cliff. However, it was in the area as part of a grazing regime for the area,' said the spokesman. The line rescue personnel coaxed the pony down the remaining 30 metres of cliff to the beach below but the cove had no access back to the top of the cliffs, so the fire service lowered a vet down to sedate the pony.

The animal was then led onto a waiting Royal Marine landing craft and the marines transferred the pony, the vet and the rescuers to Cawsand.