A 115-year-old pet has been reunited with his overjoyed owner after narrowly avoiding being squashed by speeding cars.

Confused gardeners thought they were seeing things when they spotted a tortoise creeping across a Newbury Park dual carriageway last week.

Contract gardener Pete Lewis was on the way home from working on the green at King George Hospital when he spotted Tommy slowly crossing.

He dashed into the middle of the road to scoop up the slow-moving pet and brought it to his boss Matt Gamble, a former tortoise owner.

“He was in the right place at the right time,” Mr Gamble, “especially as it was just before rush hour.”

Mr Gamble, owner of Morton Gable Gardens, took him to his north London home where he tried to track down his owner.

“I called everywhere, even tried the lost property department at the police,” he said.

“Finally, I got a breakthrough when I called the RSPCA, and his very, very, happy owner came to collect him four days later.”

Katie Pilinski, Tommy’s owner, of Eastern Avenue said: “He is 115 years old and has been handed down to us from family and friends so I was devastated when I realised he had gone. I searched every inch of my garden, even my neighbours’ gardens.

“This isn’t the first time he has escaped though. I’m not taking my eyes off him for a second next time he’s in the garden.”