UPDATE: Fears over reports of a '˜large tortoise' blocking the A24

Anxious pet owners have come forward following reports of a '˜large tortoise' causing traffic chaos on the A24 at Washington roundabout yesterday morning.
A tortoise was reported to be causing chaos on the A24 yesterday morning SUS-170426-133122001A tortoise was reported to be causing chaos on the A24 yesterday morning SUS-170426-133122001
A tortoise was reported to be causing chaos on the A24 yesterday morning SUS-170426-133122001

AA Travel said traffic was ‘at a crawl’ after it was reported that the reptile was obstructing both the A24 and the A283 coming off the roundabout.

Sussex Police said they received a call regarding the incident at 7.45 am but could find no trace of the tortoise when they inspected the area half an hour later.

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Meanwhile, scores of people took to social media about the incident querying the size of the ‘large tortoise’ and others came forward worried that the reptile could be their lost pet.

A man living near Washington roundabout said his tortoise had gone missing last year and feared it could be him. And another Washington couple - owners of eight tortoises - feared the straying reptile could be one of theirs.

A spokesman for AA Travel said: “Traffic was at a crawl on the A24 in Worthing yesterday morning. We heard reports of a large tortoise blocking the road.

“There was a slowdown of traffic in the area at the time, although this is consistent with the time of week and the cause is not conclusive.

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“Drivers could have been shelling out for repairs had a large tortoise been slowly crossing.

“The rumour has ‘tortoise’ all a valuable lesson on checking traffic for your journey before you travel and listening for updates en route.”

Leading animal charity, the Southwater-based RSPCA, said they had no direct reports of a tortoise on the A24.

A spokesman added: “People often think that tortoises are slow moving animals - but you’d be surprised how far they can travel in a short amount of time.

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“It’s important that any tortoise enclosures are secure, as they can and do escape, and sadly we take in a lot of stray tortoises that are likely to be escaped pets. If anyone spots this tortoise they can contact our hotline on 0300 123 4999.”