A CHICKEN had a ‘clucky’ escape when it was found alive more than 24 hours after its hutch was crushed by a van following a crash on the A31.

Arnold the chicken was feared dead after a Luton Ford Transit van careered off the road landed on top of his home in the garden of a property at Winterborne Zelston on Monday morning.

Two of his ‘girlfriends’ survived the crash, but owner Poppy Brown thought Arnold was gone for good.

Arnold was discovered alive and well when the van was recovered on Tuesday evening.

Poppy said: “We just all presumed he was dead. As the van was lifted, there he was, a bit shell-shocked but alive and well.”

South West Farmer: Poppy Brown and ArnoldPoppy Brown and Arnold (Image: Dorset Traffic Cops)

Poppy described her reunion with Arnold as “emotional” and said she was “over the moon” to discover he hadn’t been killed in the crash.

She added: “It’s really made my year.”

Police shut part of the A31 on Tuesday night to recover the vehicle.

The A31 westbound from the junction with the A350 Roundhouse Roundabout to the A35 at Bere Regis was closed from 7.15pm, and eastbound from Bere Regis at 7.30pm.

Both closures were lifted by 8.45pm.

Emergency services were called to the crash shortly after 11.30am on Monday.

Nobody was injured during the incident.