Lucky duck now coq of van
When van driver Paul Murphy could find no trace of a duck he had accidentally hit on a Belgian country road he thought no more of it until 400 miles later, when he found the bird wedged in his engine.
After the accident at 3am on Tuesday in Veurne, Belgium, Mr Murphy, 41, of Bramley, Leeds, drove home and stopped at Woolley Edge service station on the M1 near Wakefield at 11.30am.
"I lifted up the bonnet and started looking around the radiator because it was where the hole in the grille appeared. All of a sudden I saw this green head behind the radiator. I couldn't believe it."
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Hide AdMr Murphy and a fellow driver freed the injured mallard, which he rushed to the PDSA centre in Leeds. Vets found it had suffered an injury to its bill, and a broken wing but are hopeful of its recovery.
Mr Murphy said he will take the duck back to Belgium, adding: "But maybe this time in a comfy box..."
Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe