Suspected thief caught in slurry pit

[dutchman]

A man who tried to steal a tractor was caught when he fell into a slurry pit.

The suspect allegedly attempted to take the vehicle from Folletts Farm in Somerset, The Daily Telegraph reports.

However, beef farmer Lance House disturbed him and he fell into the pit as he tried to escape. Four fire crews attended and spent an hour using specialist equipment to free the man. He was later arrested on suspicion of attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

House explained: "We heard the tractor running late at night and found this lad reversing it across the yard who was high as a kite on drugs or alcohol. He jumped out while it was moving and ran off and then I was looking around and started hearing someone shout, 'Help, help'.

"I found him with a torch in the slurry pit. He had fallen in while running away and only his head was coming out of the slurry. I called the fire brigade and police. If we hadn't been there, he would have died and that's not a nice way to go."

Christine Barnett, who also lives on the farm, said that the man had to be treated by paramedics after being rescued.

"I actually felt quite sorry for him," she added. "He was frightened to death. It must have been scary for him. While we were waiting for the fire brigade, he was telling me how sorry he was and how he would never do it again. He really was up to his neck in it."