Suffolk couple Danny and Helen Landon were forced to take a detour during a joint cycle and horse ride on Monday – because of a ford flood.

The pair came across the five-foot watery obstacle in Whatfield, near Ipswich.

Shannon, a 19-year-old thoroughbred cross Welsh Cob, which Mrs Landon has owned for 14 years, tried to alleviate the situation by drinking some of the muddy water to reduce the flood level, Mr Landon joked.

He said: “I was with my wife Helen who was riding – I was on my bike – hoping to go through the ford, but we were not sure she would have got her horse safely passt the van – it might have been a bit too deep anyway. We turned back, but I just can’t believe the van driver couldn’t see the level of water was up to the bridge and took a chance to try and get through.”