Householders in Marlborough are being urged to be on the lookout for an escaped wallaby which, contrary to earlier reports, is still on the run.

The owner is understood to keep six wallabies but realised that one was missing on Wednesday.

Earlier reports that the wallaby was chased by police officers and was herded into a nearby garden before caught are believed to be unfounded.

The residents of Elcot Lane were first startled by the marsupial hopping along in the quiet housing estate late on Wednesday night.

It was spotted bounding down the lane just before 11pm by Brian Williams as he walked back from Marlborough Football Club.

He alerted police and the officers who went out said there was a wallaby hopping along at 15mph towards the A4 London Road.

Mr Williams said: "When I told my wife what I'd seen she burst into hysterics and suggested that I'd had more than two pints.”

Irene Pielke, 59, was returning to her home in Elcot Nurseries by car at 10pm. She was just turning into Elcot Lane when she spotted the animal, which is native to Australia, sitting in the middle of the road.

“My friend and I looked at each other and said, ‘We’re in the wrong continent’,” said Ms Pielke.

“It was so weird. It sat there a couple of seconds, sitting on its massive tail. It was so big I wouldn’t have approached it, it must have been a metre tall.

“It looked at me, twitched its ears and then hopped into a neighbour’s garden.
“I’m told it was chased it into a garden in Barrow Close.”

Margaret Spanswick, who lives opposite the Elcot Close entrance, said: “My neighbour told me she saw it going down our drive at 10pm last night. It’s funny isn’t it?”

Elcot Lane resident Lionel Peck, 76, said: “I came back from shopping at about 11pm and the man across the road said he’d seen it out walking his dog. I thought he was seeing things.

“But then a woman rolled up in a Range Rover this morning asking about a wallaby. She said the male is always running away but this time it’s the female.

“It’s certainly caused a stir, it’s something I never expected to have here in Marlborough.”

In warm weather wallabies, which originate from Australia, are understood to remain still, probably in shade, so the owner is asking people to check in their gardens and behind sheds.

Anyone with information should call 01225 773638 or email news@newswilts.co.uk