A goose was rescued from Dover Priory Station last night and took a ride in the back of a police car before being released into the wild.

It is believed it had been placed there as part of a prank.

Sue Coe, station supervisor for Faversham, was travelling back to her home in Dover at around 11pm when she spotted the large bird on the platform and informed supervisors there.

She said: "I said 'there's a goose there' and they told me to get home and said I was just tired but there it was wandering along the platform. They were frightened of the goose. I had to strip one of them of their coat and grabbed it.

"There were two PCSOs there and I said 'could you help me with my goose?' The upshot was we went in the police car with a goose in the back on my lap. I'd never been in the back of a police car before."

The drive through Dover High Street at midnight caused quite a stir when residents spotted the goose in the back of the patrol car, snapping pictures and videos on their camera phones.

The bird was hissing and trying to bite Mrs Coe but she said the whole situation was hilarious.

They drove the bird to Kearsney Abbey gardens where it was safely released into the wild.

Mrs Coe, 58, of Queen's Avenue, said: "Somebody had to bring him there. There's no way it could have got up the stairs. It must have been a prank.

"It could have got nasty if it had got in front of a train."

Mrs Coe would like to thank the two PCSOs who helped her.