FIREFIGHTERS were called out today to reports of a woman in difficulties in a brook after trying to rescue her dog.

Fire crews rushed to a ford behind the Concord Club in Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh after it was initially reported that the woman had got into difficulties after trying to enter the water to save her dog.

However, when emergency services arrived there just after 9.20am they discovered there was no one at the scene.

A firefighter from St Mary’s fire station said: “We were called out as someone was seen standing in the ford, four pumping appliances went out and the water rescue unit from Fareham and a vehicle from Redbridge.

“When we got there we had a good look up and down the river but could not find anyone – the person who called it in was in the car and they were not watching the person in the ford and given the current weather they thought it was cause for concern.

“We are duty bound to have a look after being called. We make sure we are as thorough as we can be and in this case no one was rescued.”