A BADGER was rescued after falling into a six-foot deep empty swimming pool in Cumnor.

The animal, thought to be a few months old, was spotted curled up and sleeping at the bottom of the pool in Tumbledown on Saturday, June 13.

A team from the RSPCA was called to rescue the animal from the pool, which did not have any steps, lifting him to safety using a cage attached to a hook.

They said they did not know how long the badger had been trapped for but thought it was likely the nocturnal mammal had been there since the night before.

RSPCA inspector Jaimie Godfrey said: “Unfortunately for this little badger the pool had no water in it, which meant he had quite some fall. There was no way that he could have made his way out.

“It was a pretty delicate operation, but I managed to very carefully lower the cage over him as he slept, covered with a towel, and slipped a plastic box beneath.

“It did make things easier that he was drowsy, as it was daytime, and he may very likely have been scrabbling to escape for most of the night. Fortunately he was unhurt though, so I was able to release him in a nearby field where he ran off nicely, hopefully back to his mum.

“She may have had some words for him though, wondering where he’d been.”