A POLICE officer has rescued a "wet and very scared" dog which was spotted roaming a busy road on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet.

A spokesperson from the Mendip Neighbourhood Policing team said: "PC John was driving on mobile patrol on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet when he saw the cause of all the vehicles ahead braking. A wet and very scared Spaniel was running around the busy road.

"Being a rural beat manager and dog whisperer, a few well chosen words to let the dog know they were a very good boy helped encourage him into the police vehicle.

"Unfortunately there was only a mobile phone number on the dog collar which went to voicemail so using a few systems at police disposal located the owners address and he was soon reunited with a grateful family.

"To comply with the law, a dog identification tag requires the owner's name and address be included (house number/name and postcode) - but contact details are the most important information a dog should carry."