A JACK Russell terrier called Sally had an unexpected stopover at a motorway control centre after her owner was involved in a crash on the M23.

Highways England traffic officers Nick Sivell and John Winser were called to an incident on the M23 on Tuesday, after reports of a car colliding with the central reservation.

Sally’s owner, from Brighton, had to be taken to hospital, leaving the dog and the car on the hard shoulder while recovery was arranged.

Nick and John paws-ed for thought and then took it upon themselves to look after the pooch in peril.

Nick said: “If you have an emergency on the motorway and need to stop, it is always safest to leave any animals travelling with you in the car while you and any passengers get out and behind a barrier.

“The driver did the right thing.

“Normally, we’d contact a local animal sanctuary or kennel who could look after any stranded animals, but on Tuesday there was no one who could help straight away.

“Poor Sally was stressed, not only after the impact of the collision, but seeing her owner being taken away in an ambulance.

“We realised that the only solution to this canine conundrum was for us to look after her for a while.”

John said: “Part of our job is being able to be adaptable and keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

“We always keep our eyes and ears open but this was certainly something we don’t deal with every day.”

Highways England traffic officers handled 49,000 incidents last year alone and are used to dealing with a variety of incidents and problems during their shift – and not always just with humans.

Nick and John had recently been on an animal handling course which gave them training on how to deal with a variety of stressed animals, from swans to horses, which helped them know how to comfort 15-year-old Sally.

Sally made herself at home at the control centre and John and Nick got in touch with Furry Friends, a rescue centre near Godstone in Surrey. Someone from the centre then went out to collect Sally while her owner recovered.

John added: “Luckily the driver was OK and has been discharged from hospital.

“Sally was collected from Furry Friends and the driver and Sally are now reunited at home in Brighton.

“We are so glad this tail had a yappy ending.”