SCHOOLBOY Zac Baker had never seen a live fox before he helped rescue one caught in barbed wire.

Nine-year-old Zac and his father, Peter, went into action after a horse rider spotted the cub tangled in a fence.

And while Peter carefully removed the wire from the animal's fur, Zac caught the rescue on his video camera.

The pupil of St Michael's School, Aldbourne, said: "The fox was really cute. It was lucky that it was spotted because I think he would have died if he hadn't have been helped.

"His fur had become tangled on the rest of the spikes so it was quite difficult to free him. We had to cut the wire away in little bits at a time to try not to hurt him." Zac, of Whitley Road, Aldbourne, added: "The fox made a sort of squealing noise but after a little while he calmed down."

Peter, a farrier who is in his 50s, said: "I think it's so important that children get the chance to see wildlife up close.

"Zac will remember that incident for the rest of his life, and he's got the video as a keepsake."