THE tale of a mysterious marsupial that made itself at home in a quiet corner of the North-East has come to a sad end.

For about five months, a runaway wallaby amused villagers in Etherley and Toft Hill, County Durham, by holding up traffic and making frequent appearances in the surrounding countryside.

Nobody knows where it came from and police officers and RSPCA inspectors had failed to capture it for its own safety.

For the past 12 weeks, the animal had lived on a local farm and was seen on most days happily bouncing around the fields.

But last Thursday morning, Skippy or Wally, as he was known to locals, was frightened by work on the farm and took flight.

He was spotted running along an old railway by neighbours who said he looked scared, then jumped into the road and into the side of a car travelling along the B6282.

He was taken to Wilson Veterinary Group, in Bishop Auckland, with serious injuries which could not be treated.

Vet Paul Wilson, who coincidentally hails from the creature's natural home in Australia, said staff at the practice did all they could to save it.

He said: "It had made itself quite at home in the wild, and lived happily and healthily on grass and the odd bit of sheep feed it found.

"Unfortunately, it was very badly hurt. It was completely paralysed with a broken back and had to be put to sleep."

Mr Wilson, who moved to England 15 years ago after working as a vet in the Australian bush, said that although there are some captive wallabies in England and colonies living down south he never expected to find one living wild in County Durham.

He said: "I came across quite a few back then but didn't expect to see a wild one here."