INTERESTING!

Star's tortoise in recycling rescue

Gavin And Stacey star Ruth Jones has thanked workers at a recycling plant for saving her pet tortoise after he turned up on a conveyor belt.

The 55-year-old reptile called Tom was apparently rescued with seconds to spare earlier this week at the Cardiff Council facility on Lamby Way.

He had already survived the rotating spikes section of the plant, designed to open the green bags, and travelled through a glass crusher.

He was then heading for a screen which sorts out large and heavy material from lighter items when an eagle-eyed council worker spotted him and shouted: "There's a tortoise on the line!"

Tom's epic journey began five weeks ago when he climbed into a recycling bag at the home Jones shares with her husband David in the Penylan area of the city.

In the meantime, the couple had erected posters around the city appealing for the return of their beloved pet as well as alerting Cardiff Council.

Plant worker Paul Cowling said: "It was a huge surprise to see a tortoise on the line, we get some incorrect materials coming through here, but it is the first time for a tortoise.

"Once Tom was taken off the line, he was washed, fed and given water and put in safe keeping until we found his owner. We are all pleased Tom survived and the fact that the tortoise belongs to Ruth Jones is something else."

Jones, who shot to fame playing the character Myfanwy in Little Britain, collected Tom on Wednesday.

She said: "I would like to thank all of the staff at the recycling depot at Lamby Way for saving Tom. We really thought we had lost him and the family is relieved to have him back home."