Royal Marines from Plymouth rescue pony from cliff-edge

ROYAL Marines took the reins after being tasked with saving a stricken pony.

The Turnchapel-based Commandos were called to assist the emergency services when the pony was in danger of falling off a steep cliff face on the Rame Head Peninsular.

The call was made after the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) realised it did not have a craft available to get onto the remote beach.

The duty crew at 539 Assault Squadron responded with a landing craft vehicle personnel and an off-shore raiding craft.

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Members of the RSPCA, MCA and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were transferred to the landing craft as part of the team.

They were dropped off at the beach off Rame Head before gently coaxing the distressed pony down to the beach from the cliff edge.

The animal was then anaesthetised enabling the team to bring it onto the landing craft for safe transfer to neighbouring Cawsand Beach for final release.

A spokesman for the Marines said they got the call during a routine training exercise.

"There is no standard procedure for this activity so the crews had to react to the situation as they saw it," he added.