Escaped Scot, Makes The News....

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-65962133

[ToraToraTora]

Well it makes a change from the usual cobras in news.....

[ClareTG0ld]

// Within days of being returned to his pen, Tommy made another bid for freedom at the weekend. //

Once again a clear example that incarceration doesn't work.

[retrocop]

Reminds me of my Dad’s time as a Police dog handler. An old lady rang Edgeware nick in a very distressed condition and crying that her tortoise had gone AWOL. The Station Officer thought it would be a good PR exercise and did a bells and whistles job. He despatched a wireless car with police dog Joe and my dad to her address. Joe quickly picked up the scent of the nomadic reptile from his pen and led them to a compost heap at the bottom of the garden where he burrowed out the snoozy tortoise. The lady was full of gratitude and rang the Hendon and Finchley Times where a photo of my Dad and Joe appeared next Friday much to Dad’s embarrassment and to the amusement of the nick.

[wolf63]

It's quite a distance for those little legs - maybe he was off to meet a lady friend.

[ToraToraTora]

Have you still got the picture retro?

[bhg481]

Many years ago we had a tortoise which was an escapologist. She scaled a 3ft wire mesh fence on at least two occasions and was brought back by the neighbours. She finally got out one day when we left the back gate open for a short time; she was never seen again. We really missed her as she just used to wander round the garden and would come to her name for strawberries. She refused to hibernate so we let her wander around the house in winter having acquired a Liberal party orange poster to stick on her back to help avoid treading on her.

[bhg481]

Retro - we found ours in the middle of some turf we'd taken up and left to compost.

[retrocop]

TTT
//Have you still got the picture retro?//
I might well have. If not the photo ,the press cutting. I'll try to find his old scrap book and dig it out. I have a draft copy of the book he was going to publish about his career as a dog handler and I am sure he mentioned it in that as well.

[Togo]

I think Tommy the tortoise must have been off to speed up the building of the ferries. Lucky not to be mistaken for a meat pie in Selkirk.

[Old_Geezer]

I also had a tortoise once, as a kid. At that age one couldn't expect me to be watching all the time; there was a back garden to play in after all. After umpteen times finding it at the bottom of the longish garden path and retrieving it, it finally made it out unnoticed. I searched the garden and the back lane, I never saw it again.

[Peter Pedant]

o god I thought this was a bailed ex-first minister ( er if you get my meaning) - escaped scot ( 6.8)
and the vehicle of escape is well a camper van will do
where from - outside the mother in law's house - there is always a mother in law involved
propelled by - - wellpushed by an ex treasurer of a political party of the North

um but it isnt

[Hazlinny]

This was probably at Selkirk Common Riding week when the townspeople go kinda crazy - Tommy might have been trying to escape the mayhem! Been there, done that!

[retrocop]

TTT
I searched my Dad's scrap book which is sadly dilapidated through dampness and, although, there are many newspaper photos of my Dad's exploits with Police dog Joe I cannot find the tortoise exploit.
I have found the page in his draft book which I ,hopefully, have copied it here.

https://ibb.co/ZzsgzCb

[ToraToraTora]

ha ha retro that's hilarious!

[retrocop]

TTT
The first sentence in the third paragraph is a statement that most of our new supervising officers should read ,understand and abide by. That's an old time copper with 125 Quality crime arrests under his belt with a load of help from a canine friend and partner.
Thanks for the BA.

[ToraToraTora]

13:37, yes modern plods would do well to adhere to that.

[retrocop]

Crikey . Here's another one on the trot. Do you think they were eloping to Gretna?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12216237/Pet-tortoise-disappeared-family-home-two-years-ago-just-five-miles-away.html

[Patsy33]

Aww, what an amazing story..
Retrocop, Love the story of the awol tortoise your Dad & Joe managed to find :-))

[douglas9401]

Word locally is that he asked to be returned home to Michelle.

[jourdain2]

I love that story of your dad's, Retro - in fact it's just given me an idea for a story for my 'Laking Tyke' children's stories. Well done Dad & dog! :)