A BISHOP'S Hull family feared the worst when they couldn't find their beloved tortoise.

Shelly the Herman tortoise had been missing for a week before its owners found her - buried in their garden.

The pet was in rude health, but needed a good wash as it was covered in mud.

Denise Paskin, of Jarmyns, said: "We couldn't find Shelly anywhere and feared she'd wandered off and we might never see her again.

"Then a friend told me that tortoises often bury themselves underground.

"So I dug up the whole garden, digging up the mud, and found her under a bush.

"She's absolutely fine, although we needed to give her a good clean up because she was so dirty.

"She keeps going back to the same spot, so if she disappears again, we'll know where to look next time."