A pet owner saved his drowning tortoise's life after giving it the kiss of life for an hour. John Fletcher found 45-year-old Freda at the bottom of his garden pond limp and looking dead.

Mr Fletcher started performing CPR - and gave the animal mouth to mouth resuscitation. Middle-aged "big lady tortoise" Freda lives with her owner at his home and has free rein of the back garden.

The amateur astronomer has built an observatory in his back yard in Gloucester, and often spends hours gazing at the stars.

But he was bewildered when Freda vanished on Saturday afternoon and eventually reached into the pond, where he found his pet.