Round of a-paws for this innovative search and rescue team who attached a sausage to a drone that helped lure a lost dog back to safety on the treacherous Hampshire mudflats. 

Millie, a Jack Russell-Whippet cross, was missing for 48 hours after slipping out of her lead on 20 January.

Owner Emma Oakes put out a public appeal and Millie was eventually spotted on the mudflats - luckily before high tide. 

The plucky pooch evaded rescue attempts by police, firefighters and even the coastguard, before Denmead Drone Search and Rescue team opted for a new approach: attaching an Aldi sausage to a drone to coax her from her spot on the mudflats.  

The team had to check the maximum take-off weight of the drone with the Civil Aviation Authority, but were informed that a singular sausage would not cause any complications.

The team was able to lead her away from the mudflats to higher ground, where she was eventually reunited with her owner.

Chris Taylor, the Director of Denmead Drone Search and Rescue, said: "The sausage idea was the brain storm of one of our drone pilot's Dave Pikey.

"The idea was a first for us, but with time running out we had to do something. At first I did think it was a little crazy, but it worked extremely well.

"We are just happy that we played our part in helping get Millie home. Hopefully we won't be doing too many sausage drone rescues but it will definitely be added to our list of tactics."

ENDS