Surprise Return Of Missing Turtle Clyde After Aquarium Theft

A missing turtle though to have been stolen from an aquarium in Ellesmere Port on Tuesday has been returned safe and sound.

Delighted keeper Tom Fielding revealed the turtle had been returned to the Blue Planet Aquarium in a washing up bowl.

He said: "This is amazing, thank you so much to everyone for getting the message out.

"She's still with us. I need to get her warm because she's really cold.

"We'll get her warm, we'll get her heated up and it looks like she's going to make it and be around for another long time yet - it's incredible. I can't put it into words."

Earlier, the keeper had warned that "time really is of the essence" after the 20cm reptile was removed from the Cheshire aquarium.

He had said: "If we are lucky, we've got 48 hours, but if she's been dumped in the wild or put into a canal or pond, she'll die. It's just too cold, if she's left outside."

Cheshire Police later said they were speaking to the people who had returned the turtle to "establish the circumstances of the incident".