An escaped sheep in Sompting was rescued on the A27 this morning at around 7.30am, thanks to the ingenuity of a member of the road traffic police.

Members of the public alerted Chris Snell, camera operator for the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, to a sheep wandering in the road by Sompting Abbotts. In just 20 minutes Chris had captured the sheep and safely returned him to a nearby field.

Chris said: "I lassoed him with my tow rope and managed to guide him back into the field. I had to remove a panel of the fence, so once the sheep was safely back in the field I used my tool kit to fix the panel back into place.

"Animals on the road can be extremely hazardous to drivers, so I was glad I could help. I worked as a police officer for 30 years and encountered escaped sheep around Ashdown Forest, but these days I'm more used to catching speeding cars than animals."

Did you see Mr Snell lasso the sheep and take a picture? Email news@theargus.co.uk.