A 12-year-old boy had to be rescued after he became trapped in mud at Fylde Rugby Club.

The boy was at the Woodlands ground in Ansdell yesterday afternoon playing alone and was leaving the area when he stepped onto a trench which had been dug to lay cables for floodlights.

The rain softened area then engulfed his lower legs, leaving him trapped.

A neighbour heard his cries for help and alerted the fire brigade at 5pm.

Firefighters used boards to stabilise the boy and stop him sinking further before removing the mud surrounding him.

He was eventually released uninjured.

Spokesman for the club Allan Foster, said: “A boy was playing unsupervised and unknown around the Woodlands area, but had no right to be there.

“We've been doing work to put new floodlights up and workmen had dug a trench 2ft deep by 6in across to hold the cables for the floodlights.

“They were in the process of filling the trench up and had covered the hole.

“The boy climbed on to this cover, it gave way and he has fallen in.”

He added that the trench had now been covered.