Mum in plea for help finding tortoise Clyde

HAYLEY Broxup with her wanted posters for missing tortoise Clyde, who disappeared from Saddleworth a month ago

A HEARTFELT borough-wide plea has gone out from a distraught mother-of-two in a bid to find her missing tortoise.

And frantic Hayley Broxup has turned eco detective in a relentless search to locate her missing 12-year-old tortoise Clyde.

The feisty tortoise vanished from the garden of her Dobcross home a month ago and Hayley is convinced he may have climbed into a bin bag and was carried away in a rubbish collection.

And the professional carer has been spurred on in her hunt to find her luckless pet after national media reports of another missing tortoise was found safe in a rubbish tip in London.

Now in a bid to track Clyde she has distributed colourful "wanted" posters offering a reward across Saddleworth and, with the approval of refuse collection chiefs, at sites in Oldham and Greater Manchester.

In a letter to refuse disposal bosses she said she believed Clyde may have climbed into a rubbish bag which contained a cat meat tin.

"Cat meat is Clyde's favourite food," she explained.

"I did my own research as to where the rubbish and the recycling products would be unloaded.

"I visited a local tipping site but rubbish no longer went there. I was willing to rummage through any amount of rubbish to get him back.

"I then travelled to Chadderton and the South Manchester recycling plant with posters in the hope of someone helping me to locate him and reunite him back with his family.

"And after the report of a lady losing her tortoise in exactly the same circumstance as mine then being found I'm determined to press on with my search.

"Clyde is tough. He's a real fighter. I'm not going to lose hope.

"He's a big tortoise and very independent. He is always trying to get out of our garden to go exploring. He's got a really adventurous spirit."

And she added: "Clyde loves the sunshine and if he's trapped anywhere he will make a big banging sound to get out. He's certainly not shy."

Meantime, Clyde's partner, Bonnie, and their offspring Miracle, are being cared for by Hayley's sons, Casey (14) and James (12).

If you have any information on Clyde's whereabouts call Hayley on 07940 955428, or go to Facebook: Please find Clyde the tortoise or Twitter @find clyde.