YOU’VE heard of the Essex Lion but there was an altogether different sort of animal causing a stir in Soham on Wednesday, a wallaby!

Bruce the wallaby was spotted shortly before 6am hopping merrily along High Street by stunned members of the public, with police called to the scene to investigate.

The wallaby, who, remarkably, managed to navigate the Soham bypass on his way from Hasse Road into the town, causing much amusement among workers and members of the public, before he was finally tracked down by his owner.

Glen Sarll came across the wallaby in Paddock Street and took this photograph. His wife Lisa said: “He said he nearly had a heart attack, he thought he was seeing things.

“He took a picture of it and then called me. I didn’t believe him until he sent me his picture.”

Emma Goldsack, who works at Brightspark Recruitment, in Sand Street, said: “It is quite amazing because he had to travel a good couple of miles to get from his home into the town. Everybody was talking about it.

“He managed to jump his fence, we went and visited him after work and he was in the corner of his pen looking a bit sorry for himself!”

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire police confirmed that calls were received from members of the public at 5.58am and officers were sent to help capture the animal.

He was safely rounded up and taken back to his home at about 6.40am.