A HAVE-A-GO hero risked his life to rescue a stranded dog from the fast-flowing River Wharfe at Burley-in-Wharfedale.

The animal went into the river just before 11am and could not get out again but it managed to struggle to an island in the middle of the stream near Ghyll Royd School at Leatherbank.

The worried owner telephoned first the fire service and the RSPCA for help.

Staff at the headquarters of the West Yorkshire Fire Service said they later got another call to say a member of the public had tried to rescue the dog and had also got into trouble in the fast flowing water.

A fire crew from Ilkley was called to the scene but the man, who has not been named, had managed to rescue the dog and climb out of the river with the help of another man.

Ilkley Station Officer Alex Watson said: "The river was flowing very fast and there was a lot of water in there - it would have been a difficult situation if they had not got out."

He said no-one was injured and the people involved were leaving the scene when firefighters arrived. Apart from being cold and wet, they did not need assistance.