Firefighters rescued a stricken dog from a pond in Langdon Park in Teddington last night after the owner waded into the frozen water himself.

A man and a woman were walking their greyhound off the lead when it became stuck on an island in the pond, on Wednesday February 28.

Despite the danger, the man went into the pond to try and reach his dog unsuccessfully, leading firefighters to remind people not to attempt to rescue pets themselves.

Mark Hazelton, the fire service’s group manager for community safety, said: “We would urge all dog owners to ensure they keep their pets on a lead while out walking as this freezing weather persists. Usually when dogs run onto ice and get stuck, they will eventually get themselves back onto dry land.

"As soon as ponds and lakes freeze over we know there is a risk that people may make the mistake of walking on and falling through the ice.

"Some people take astonishing risks, especially pet owners whose dogs have gone onto the ice and young people who seem unaware of the dangers.

"Please, for your own safety, stay off of any frozen pond, lake or canal as there is a high risk it wont take your weight and when it's cold, hypothermia sets in rapidly and can prove fatal.

"If your dog or any other animal ends up on the ice, stay put and call 999 so firefighters can rescue it, rather than taking risks yourself."

The other dog-walker called firefighters at around 5pm, who then used a specialist boat, which is carried on a fire rescue unit, to reach the dog.

Fire crews from Twickenham, Kingston, Heston and Battersea fire stations attended the scene.