A FARE dodging owl travelled 175 miles after it hitched a lift on board a train from north Lancashire to Northamptonshire.

The tawny owl started its journey at Carnforth and stayed on the train which was from Glasgow, and got up to speeds of 75mph.

It was found by train workers between the train’s locomotive engine and the first wagon at Crick and taken under the wing of Nuneaton Wildlife Sanctuary where staff aptly named the bird Lucky.

The owl suffered from wing damage and concussion and though it had not been trapped it was not able to fly off the perch due to the wind force.

Lucky has now safely been released back into the wild.