FISHERMAN Peter Lawrence laughed when his longtime canine companion Trixie jumped into the River Wye.

But the fun of seeing the 16 year-old border terrier swimming turned to alarm as it became apparent she could not get out.

"Eventually I decided to call the emergency services. The Lydney and Coleford fire brigades turned out and they were brilliant and rescued the dog in next to no time. She was fine and I just want to express my sincere thanks for all they did," said the Mitcheldean fisherman.

The Tuesday morning rescue means an end to Trixie's fishing trips.

"There's an irony to the rescue. Usually the Wye is alive with canoeists and when Trixie fell in I was going to ask one to pull her out. In fact there was not one for an hour," he said.