Tiny bat hitches a ride to Hartlepool

Car salesmen had a shock when they found the tiny bat hiding in the boot of the

Vauxhall Grandland X which had been manufactured in France before being transported to a Hartlepool showroom.

RSPCA officer Shane Lynn - who used to work at the dealership - was sent back to his former workplace to collect the little stowaway.

He said:The cheeky critter was clearly 'Robin’ a lift - although I don’t know if he planned to end up in the north-east of England

“The bat - around 10cm big - was found when the car arrived at the showroom and staff had quite the fright.

"Luckily, despite his adventure, he didn’t seem to be too worse for wear.”

Staff managed to safely contain the bat in a cardboard box and keep him safe until Shane arrived.

The officer took the bat, who seemed a little lethargic, to a local vet for a check-up and reported the find to the Bat Conservation Trust.

“When you work with animals you never quite know what will happen next - and we do get some batty calls to help animals in strange situations, like this little cross-channel furry!” Shane added.

“But it’s always really rewarding when we can help an animal in need and ensure they’re safe and well.

“This little one is now with a bat carer and will be released back into the wild once he’s strong and healthy enough.

"Pipistrelle bats are common in the UK so we can release him here and he should join a local colony and do well.”

If you find an animal in need of help please contact the RSPCA’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999 for advice.

• Since publication of this article, a bat carer involved in the pipstrelle's rehabilitation says that the bat may not have entered the boot in France. She said: "It is far more likely that he got into the car at some point between when the car was in the compound in Kent and when it got to the garage in Hartlepool. This was confirmed by liaising with the individual who originally found him from the garage, who was able to backtrack the car's stopping points."