Suffolk tortoise picked up by police

Published 7 June – Jay News Bytes

A giant tortoise managed to make it about a mile across Ipswich town before being apprehended by police.

Titan, who weighs in at a whopping nine stone (60kg), was found in Kesgrave, Woodbridge near Ipswich, on Friday.

It took three police officers to lift the wayward pet into a van and drive him home to his worried owner.

Richard Aston said it was a “mystery” how Titan made it that far as he had not broken through his shelter. “Maybe he teleported there,” he said.

When police called Mr Aston, he was not at home so had no idea his 35-year-old pet African sulcata tortoise was on the loose.

“There was no sign of the fence being broken, and he can’t jump over it – it’s three feet high,” he said.

He said it was “a bit of a mystery” how Titan, who measures about one metre (40in) across, had ended up in a road about a mile from his home.

“It’s just another of his adventures,” he said.

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Suffolk Police said they were called by a member of the public to reports of the giant tortoise on the loose in Dr Watson’s Lane just outside the town, at about 14:25 BST on Friday.

Officers who attended decided to take Titan back to his owner and it took three of them to lift him into a police van.

Posting photographs on Twitter with the hashtag “slowjustice” (#slowjustice), they said the tortoise was “too large for the van cell so had to travel wagon side” just behind the driver PC Steve Walker said.

Mr Aston was full of praise for both the Suffolk Constabulary officers, saying they were “lovely” and “went out of their way” to return Titan.

A few days later, he said Titan was none the worse for his ordeal and was wandering around the garden enjoying the sunshine.