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Escaped wallaby on the tracks causes rail delays

An escaped wallaby spotted on a busy railway line caused delays to services between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

The marsupial was seen on the tracks between Huddersfield and Stalybridge earlier, after it was believed to have fled from a nearby animal farm.

Services had to run slower than normal as they passed through the area until it was reported to be clear of danger.

National Rail Enquiries tweeted it was "causing delays of up to ten minutes."

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It is thought the wallaby, similar to the one pictured, escaped from a nearby animal farm

Ross Easton, from Network Rail, said: "With summer holidays coming up, we are reminding everyone - especially kids and young people - to stay off the tracks. However, wallabies are a new one on us. We hope the little critter will have hopped off the track and back to safety."

The company said trains were now running according to schedule.

A wallaby was also filmed hopping through a field in nearby Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire by Dave Beaumont at 06:30 BST on Thursday.