Runaway dog takes airport train

Animal warden Sue Knight traced Diesel's owner

A dog has been reunited with its owner after escaping and travelling alone by train from London to Stansted Airport.

Diesel, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, ran away from home in Tottenham, where he was being cared for while his owner holidayed in Clacton, Essex.

He somehow got on a train bound for Stansted on Wednesday and was found at the airport.

"I always spend a lot of time with him so I think he probably came looking for me," said owner Sarah Chapman.

Where Diesel got on the train is not known, but it is likely he hopped on the Stansted Express service from Tottenham Hale railway station.

He would have then had a journey of about 35 minutes to the airport.

Security at Stansted found him without a collar and contacted the environmental health team at Uttlesford District Council.

"Perhaps he was under the impression that Sarah had flown to a foreign country," a council spokesman said.

Animal warden Sue Knight used a microchip detector over Diesel's skin and found Ms Chapman's details.

"Diesel's a lovely dog and it was a bit sad to see him go," said Ms Knight.

"Obviously, though, it's great that we were able to reunite him with his owner."

Speaking of her pet's escape, Ms Chapman said: "My friend said maybe he had found a fox in the garden. He could have been stolen, I suppose I'll never know.

"It's made me realise just how valuable getting him microchipped was... otherwise I'd never have found him."

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