A STOWAWAY ferret who travelled 200 miles in a lorry from the North-East, is to start a new life in the east Midlands.

Yorkie - the nickname given by staff at the RSPCA's Woodside animal rescue centre in Leicester - has found a new home.

He will be leaving the centre on Thursday to live with a couple in the Leicestershire village of Little Thorpe.

They were among a number of callers offering the animal a home after reading reports of his adventure.

Yorkie was taken to the RSPCA by a long-distance driver from Newcastle, who found him when he unloaded his truck in Leicester earlier this month.

The animal charity also appealed in the North-East for Yorkie's owners to come forward.

And although they received a couple of calls from Newcastle, officials at the centre have decided to re-home Yorkie locally.

A spokeswoman for the centre said: "He is going to be neutered tomorrow and on Thursday will be going to his new home with a young woman and her partner.

"We had two people come forward who reckoned he was their ferret.

"Unfortunately, we haven't got the transport to send him all that way. We explained this to them and they were quite happy.

"We have had quite a bit of interest through Yorkie's story and we have reserved homes for quite a few of our other ferrets as well.

"They are becoming quite popular as pets. People lose them but don't think to report them to the RSPCA."