PEOPLE making their way along a busy main road in Pendle yesterday morning were greeted with a scene which could have come straight out of a pantomime.

Motorists driving along Burnley Road towards Colne were brought to a stop by an irate goose stood in the middle of the road.

A couple of people tried to catch the bird but it was not until Philip Leeds, the owner of the nearby Lanlee Supplies Ltd, managed to get hold of the goose that normality returned.

Although customers to his showroom in Burnley Road could still have been forgiven for doing a double take as Philip has been looking after the goose -- named Lanlee -- in a dog run close to the company's front counter.

He said: "One of my drivers came in and said 'Come and look at this' and when I got outside there was the goose. It was running round with its neck stuck out and was hissing at and attacking the cars.

"One of the lads from the firm next door to us had tried to catch it but he backed off when it hissed at him. I'm not any kind of animal handler but I'm not scared of them so as soon as it stuck its neck out to me I grabbed it.

"I wish I'd had a video camera. I got a bit of a cheer and was a hero for about five seconds."

The company sells fencing and wire and as luck had it there was already a dog run set up in the showroom as an example for customers.

Philip said: "It's locked up in there right in front of the counter so it's been a bit of a conversation starter. I rang the police but they don't collect it so if no-one claims it I will be taking it to the animal sanctuary in Hapton.

"We might even adopt it ourselves.

"I've no idea how it got there. It was so clean and beautifully white to say it had been raining and there are no pens round here. It's actually quite tame now that it's calmed down and there is a pet place just up the road so we will be looking after it properly."