Passengers waiting for a bus on the A64 last Friday would have had to share the shelter with an unusual travelling companion — Murphy the donkey.
Two members of the public called North Yorkshire Police at about 7am on 1 July, after they had found the donkey grazing on the central reservation of the carriageway, near Whitwell.
The pair managed to catch him, and “encouraged” him into the bus stop, where they tied him up and called for help.
“We attended the scene and once we were happy the donkey was in no danger, we set about trying to locate his owner,” a police spokesman said..
“A few door knocks later (‘Anyone at this address missing a donkey?’) we discovered that Murphy had escaped from a field he shared with his llama and sheep friends.
“His owner came and took him safely back to his field, where he soon settled down for a rest after an eventful morning. We know he looks a bit sad in the photo but rest assured Murphy was checked over and is absolutely fine, probably just upset that his adventure had been curtailed.”
The spokesman added that Murphy was checked and had suffered no harm from his adventures.
“We’re not sure whether Murphy just fancied a tasty snack on the central reservation – they do say the grass is always greener on the other side,” he said. “Or perhaps he was considering catching a bus to Scarborough to start a new career on the beach?
“Either way, we’re very grateful to the members of the public who rescued Murphy and called us for help!”
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