A COUPLE and their pet dog were rescued from the banks of a beck in Bingley last night after they became stuck on a slippery slope.

The couple, believed to be in their early 50s, had set off with their pet dog from Lode Pit Lane in Eldwick late yesterday afternoon, and were following the route of Lode Pit Beck.

During the walk the dog ran off and fell down the bank. When the woman went down to rescue it, she became stuck on the slippery ground, and had to cling on to the base of a tree to prevent herself from falling into the beck, which was particularly fast moving due to recently melted snow.

The man went down to try to help but stopped before he too became stuck.

He rang the fire service and at about 5.30pm crews from Bingley, Keighley and a specialist rope rescue unit from Rawdon reached them after they had park up and walk the last quarter of a mile.

Bingley watch commander Andy Gray said: "The next stop down for the woman would have been the waterside.

"We set up a lines system to secure the woman and make her a bit more comfortable. By the time we'd set that up the Rawdon line rescue team had arrived. They set up a system where they were able to help the lady back up with a line connected to her.

"A crew then went down to find the dog. They found him, and he was very cold and frightened. The man was re-united with the dog and then left in the hands of paramedics."

The woman was also treated by paramedics at the scene and the incident was declared over by 7.20pm.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Ambulance Service said: "We received a call from the fire service about two people who had been rescued after becoming stuck on a ledge.

"We deployed one ambulance and provided care to two patients at the scene but they declined transportation to hospital."