THE JOKE goes ‘A man walks into a pub’ but one Saddleworth venue had to deal with a different kind of intruder – a ferret!
Staff at the Old Bell Inn in Delph were left as stunned as its diners when the rodent sauntered in, leading to cries.
It also ended up sparking a trans-European call as its owner was on holiday in Norway!
The ferret was being minded by a friend, who lives close to the Huddersfield Road pub, but it managed to escape its temporary surroundings.
And the animal, christened Taz, was given bed and board for the night before being collected.
Owner Phil Whiteman did the honours with room service by whisking up raw egg before he was tucked into bed.
After his unlikely one-night stay, he checked out after fresh farm eggs for breakfast.
And Phil said: “He enjoyed his short stay at the Old Bell Inn. He’s given us a satisfying 5* review on ferret advisor!”
After enquiries, it was established where the ferret was meant to be living and owner William McGillion detailed the life story – and how ferrets leaving home is not exactly unusual.
He said: “Thank you all for the love and hospitality shown to Taz.
“Taz is a rescue ferret, who lives with a family of four.
“We have another ferret called Nip, who took a vacation of three months and was found in Bacup, 15 miles from home!”
You must be logged in to post a comment.