Dog rescued after falling 15ft into pit near Luton

The owner of an "old and frail" border collie that fell 15ft (4.6m) down a Victorian ice house pit says the experience left her "horrified".

Lisa Collins, 52, took Zac, 15, for a walk on the Putteridge Bury estate near Luton, Bedfordshire, on Thursday evening when he suddenly disappeared.

He was eventually spotted down a hole and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The University of Bedfordshire, which manages the estate, said it was working with a farmer to secure the entrance.

Ms Collins said she thought Zac was stuck in brambles after hearing a horrible "scream", but then saw him at "the bottom of a pit".

"There's a mound with a hidden door that we went past," said Ms Collins, from Luton, who at the time was walking with three other dogs and two nieces.

"No-one knew there was a big gap in the doorway, but the door was ajar and he just fell down there," she said.

"I thought he had broken his back and legs. I don't know how he's not dead."

She called the emergency services to rescue Zac, as there was no way of him getting out, she said.

The rescue operation was "so well co-ordinated" with two firefighters using a very long ladder to get to him, she added.

Zac was then "picked up and cuddled and brought up slowly, as he was so scared, it was horrific, it was harrowing".

Ms Collins stayed up with him over two nights to check that he "wasn't going into shock", but he "seemed OK" after being checked by his vet.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews from across the county attended the scene at 19:00 on Thursday.

Zac was eventually brought to the surface later in the evening.

A University of Bedfordshire spokeswoman said the incident at Putteridge Bury woods happened on the border with neighbouring farmland.

"Our security team are working with the farmer to ensure the entrance is safely secured as a matter of urgency," she said.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk