THE owners of a pole cat are being sought after it was found running around the grounds of a Radcliffe School.

The unique pet, which is similar to a ferret, was found by workers at Gorsefield Primary School earlier this afternoon.

Kay Reynolds, whose boyfriend discovered the creature, said: "One of his employees noticed a little face appear from the bushes and they stopped work as they didn't want to scare it.

"My boyfriend, Mark, was able to coax it out after a short time. It bounded up to him and was very friendly, letting him pick her up straight away."

Kay and Mark, who live in Edgworth ,Bolton, are currently seeking to find the owner of the pet.

It is not chipped, though is "healthy, warm and fed."

While the pole cat appears to be a pet due to its domesticated nature, many still live wild across the UK, particularly in Wales and South-West England.

The polecat’s conservation status in Britain is much more favourable today than it was a hundred years ago.

Provided that no new serious threats emerge to halt the current recovery, it seems likely that the polecat will become a widely re-established species in mainland Britain.