Turbo the tortoise has been found - in the slow lane of the A12.

The owners of the reptilian escape artist yesterday made a plea for the return of their favourite pet after he disappeared from their garden over the weekend.

And just hours later eagle-eyed Jayson Fletcher spotted Turbo trundling down a slip-road onto the A12.

Jayson's girlfriend Ellie Baker said: "He was coming home from work and he saw the tortoise plodding along the A12. He almost ran him over, but he screeched to a halt, picked him up and brought him home."

She added: "We didn't think that we'd ever find his owners, but then we saw the story in the paper that evening."

Turbo often makes a break for freedom from the back garden of his Eight Ash Green home using a flower pot as a ladder to scale a fence.

But he has never made such a long and dangerous journey as this.

Ellie and Jayson were today getting in touch with Turbo's owners the Norman family. to let them know that their intrepid tortoise is safe and well.

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