Now that's high-springing lambs! Firefighters in the were left baffled when called to rescue three lambs and a sheep ... off the roof of a family's house. The awesome foursome had escaped from a field in Penrith, , on Monday morning and then tried to avoid being cornered by officers by clambering up a nearby home's rooftop.

The woolly wanderers had first darted round the back of the property before springing up onto a low section off roof just 2ft (0,6m) off the ground to "get away from police" initially sent to help round them up. From there they were able to scramble onto higher sections of the rooftop before finding themselves perched precariously on the very top of the house - with no idea how to get down.

Penrith Fire Station manager Darren Wright said he and his crew were "baffled" when they arrived at the two-storey property in Graham Street, just before 11am, and were greeted by the sight of the animals up high.

But with the assistance of a local farmer, ladders and reaching poles, they managed to bring them down to safety and return them to a field.

Mr Wright said: "We are called to a lot of animal rescues, but sheep on a roof was a first.

"We couldn't fathom out why there would be sheep in that area in the first place and how they even got on the roof - there was a lot of confusion."

He explained that police officers were at the scene and told them they were "trying to capture them after they'd escaped from a field".

"It all became apparent when we realised the roof at the rear of the property went down near the ground and the sheep had used it to get away from the police," he said.

Mr Wright, of Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said although "it was a shock" to see the animals, they were glad there had been "a happy outcome".

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service summed it up saying: "This animal rescue was a first for us. The turnout information was "sheep stuck on a two-storey roof".

"On route, we weren't quite sure what we'd find when we arrived. On arrival we found one sheep and three lambs stuck on a roof.

"Fire crews used ladders and reaching poles, and along with a local farmer who came to assist, we safety got the sheep down and returned them to the field they'd come from."