“One single to the farm, please!” A sheepish looking passenger boards local bus in Brighton & Hove
When Martine Patey, Go-Ahead Group's Brighton and Hove bus driver set off to Eastbourne for her first ever Rail Replacement bus duty on Sunday morning, she wasn’t sure what the day would hold. One thing’s for sure, she didn’t think she’d be wrangling a sheep on the A27.
As she approached the A road, Martine spotted a coach stopped with its hazards on – before a flash of white ran out from behind it into the road, causing havoc for passing cars. Animal lover Martine immediately decided to pull over, put on her high-vis and attempt to help the lost sheep out of the road and into safety.
"The sheep was running all over the road,” said Martine. “It was difficult to catch, but then it slipped just in front of me and I was able to get hold of it and to use my handbag strap like a lasso. Two other motorists had stopped to help and together we were able to hold onto it until the police arrived.”
The sheep had a brief trip up onto the bus, with the police asking Martine to take it back to a local farm, before the farmer arrived and it was safely returned to his truck. Martine then resumed her journey to Eastbourne where – and ewe won’t believe this – she arrived only one minute late. All in a morning’s work!