By Pam McClounie

Last updated at 12:16, Thursday, 11 September 2008

When Lucky the hamster decided to pack up and run she did it properly – along a main road to Carlisle in heavy traffic.

Lucky the hamster in his running ball

Paw-padding along in her own plastic ball, motorist Nick Smith watched in awe as the rodent made her way into the city centre.

He said: “I was driving along London Road with my son Ben in the car when something caught my eye in the gutter.

“I saw a plastic ball trundling along and it overtook me so I stopped the car and jumped out. My son didn’t believe me when I said there was a hamster inside. I was amazed.”

Mr Smith parked his car on Sunday on the stretch of road between B&Q and Halfords and asked if anyone had lost a hamster.

Mr Smith, an electrical engineer, said: “I knocked on a few doors but no-one knew anything about it so goodness knows where she came from.

“I decided that the only thing to do was to take her home with us to Wreay.

“She’s brown and white and all she’s done since we got her home is sleep during the day but she’s up at night. We had to buy her a new cage, bedding and food – which cost about £50.

“My daughter Rebecca was really pleased as she’d been mulling over the idea of getting a hamster for some time.

“We used to have one which we kept in one of the kid’s bedrooms and it used to get on its wheel at 3am and wake everyone up.”

Lucky joins their other pets, including a Dalmatian, two cats and lots of fish.

“How she survived is a miracle. She must be the luckiest hamster in the world – hence her new name Lucky,” said Mr Smith.

First published at 11:50, Thursday, 11 September 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk