FIREFIGHTERS rescued a pony that was in difficulty in water in Ulting using the what3words phone app to locate it.

The pony's owner was struggling to help get the animal out of the water yesterday (19th August) when a passer-by saw them and called the fire service. The caller was able to use the phone app, which generates three words to give rescuers in any situation the precise location of the incident - in this case the words were - bizarrely - 'hears.brings.firepower'. This meant that firefighters were able to find exactly where the pony and owner were.

Two animal rescue swimmers waded into the water and used a head harness and long line to help the pony swim back to the edge where it was left in the care of a vet.

Essex Fire and Rescue Service is hoping other people will download the free what3words app, which can prove something of a lifesaver in emergency situations.

The app developers have broken the world down into trillions of 3m by 3m squares, each with a unique three-word address. These three words can then be used to pinpoint your location more accurately when sending emergency services to you.

You can download the what3words using the app here.