TV star's pet makes daring escape

Ruth Jones put up posters after her tortoise went missing

Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones has been reunited with her pet tortoise after it made a daring escape from home in a recycling bag.

Tom, a 55-year-old tortoise, diced with death after being transported to Cardiff council's recycling plant.

The tortoise survived rotating spikes and a glass crusher before being plucked to safety by a council worker.

The award-winning TV comedy actress and her husband spent weeks searching for Tom and had put up posters.

They had also alerted the council, whose staff eventually spotted Tom on a depot conveyor belt.

"I would like to thank all of the staff at the recycling depot at Lamby Way for saving Tom," said Jones, who co-wrote and played Nessa in the hit comedy Gavin and Stacey.

"We really thought we had lost him and the family is relieved to have him back home."

Tom, who was on the run for five weeks, had sneaked into one of the council's green recycling bags at Jones' home before being picked up by a recycling vehicle in Penylan.

The tortoise spent a month at the dump before entering the recycling facility on Sunday.

Cardiff council said Tom was spotted on the conveyor belt at the first checkpoint but staff were unable to grab him straight away.

He survived rotating spikes which open the green bags and travelled through a glass crusher before being picked up.

Jones, who is due to present her own show on BBC Radio Wales in October, has now collected her pet and Tom is back home recovering from his ordeal.

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