JOANNE Galvin has been landed with double trouble after an awol hamster resurfaced in the kitchen.

She bought Taz for her three-year-old son Jack two weeks ago, but after it escaped from its cage, replacement hamster Sammy was bought a week later.

But then the family, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, spotted missing Taz scrabbling across the kitchen floor and managed to catch him.

Now they are seeking a home for one of the pets after being left with only one cage.

Joanne was warned by the RSPCA not to put the two animals together or they may have more than one hamster to rehouse!

Joanne said: "It's surprising how Taz got out of the cage as the bars are very close together.

"We pulled out the washing machine, the fridge freezer and the cooker but with no luck.

"Jack was very concerned and was trying to find Taz himself."

Any interested new owners can contact Joanne on 01254 391862.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.