ANGEL, a four-year-old border collie, has landed safely in Australia after a marathon journey, which saw her being shuttled hundreds of miles between airports.

It all started when Angel was taken from her former home at Stanhope in Weardale, County Durham, to Manchester Airport.

She was transferred to Heathrow to be flown out to Australia to be reunited with her owners, the former rector of Stanhope, Canon Penny Jones, and her husband, the Reverend Jonathan Inkpin.

But it was discovered that Angel - the pet of the Inkpins' twin daughters Sonia and Kathleen - had a high blood count due to inoculations she had been given.

Angel was kept at Heathrow for five days before being flown back to Manchester again.

It was then decided she must return to Weardale to be treated by the vet, who had given her the original inoculations.

June Crosby, of Stanhope, who cared for her during her two-week return to Weardale, said: "The whole affair seems incredible now.

"As far as we understand, there was nothing wrong with Angel, except that her blood count was a little high, because of the inoculations."

Angel still has not been reunited with the Inkpins, who took their 13-year-old daughters to New South Wales because they believed the warmer climate would help them cope with ME, a crippling disease from which the twins suffer.

The family have made the long journey from their home at Gosford to Sydney Airport to see Angel, but she will not be allowed out of quarantine until the end of April.

Mrs Crosby said: "Penny said that Angel was feeling a bit sorry for herself, but she was looking very well and is raring to get to her new home."