EAGLE-EYED recycling staff have saved the life of a pet tortoise that ended up in a bin lorry.

The reptile was found at the central district depot in Newton Abbot on Tuesday morning but must have been dumped in the area where the crew had been doing their round in the Higher and Lower Brimley and Daimonds Lane.

Officers at Teignbridge Council don’t know whether the creature was mistakenly left out with the waste or cruelly sent to an almost certain death in a crusher.

A spokesman said: ‘It was found when the recycling lorry was being emptied at the bulking station. We are not sure how the tortoise came to be in one of the bins. There is a theory it must have been in a communal paper bin because the crews check the small boxes before being emptied into the lorries, but the big ones are automatically emptied in.

‘The tortoise is safe and well. We have given it something to eat and drink and it’s quite lively. It has been very lucky.’

The tortoise was checked for a chip but doesn’t have one. An appeal has been made to try to find the owner.

Luckily the staff member who found it already has others at home and has taken it in.

Anyone who thinks the animal is theirs should email [email protected] with proof of ownership.