The ewe was trapped in a 5m-deep crevice between two large rocks in the area which is popular with climbers.

The alarm was originally raised by a small group of climbers who spotted the ewe stuck in the narrow ridge at around 7pm on Tuesday.

Ten firefighters from the technical rescue unit and a fire engine from Cleckheaton Station attended the scene. The firefighters used ropes to lower themselves into the gulley and then attach straps to the ewe before winching her out at around 9pm.

“It was very claustrophobic between the rocks with only around 40 centimetre’s width to manoeuvre so it wasn’t a particularly nice place to be,” said Station Commander Chris Lawton.

Scroll through photos of the rescue operation in the slide show above.

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