A GUIDE dog has been reunited with its owner after it went missing in Ramsbottom.

Toffee, a five-year-old retriever labrador cross, had run off after his owner was involved in a car crash on Sunday evening and was taken to hospital.

He was spotted by a deep hole full of water on a building site off Woodhey Road by a passer-by who contacted the RSPCA on Monday morning.

RSPCA inspector Jason Bowles said: “When I got to the building site and saw Toffee sitting by the water, which appeared to have been frozen, broken and frozen over again, I was extremely concerned for his owner.

“The caller said that Toffee been there for a couple of hours so there were some pretty frantic phone calls to the police and Guide Dogs for the Blind, which was who Toffee’s micro-chip was registered to.

“Fortunately, Toffee’s owner was safe and well but very worried about their missing dog.”

Toffee was taken to the Guide Dogs’ training centre in Atherton before being reunited with his owner.

Apart from a small graze above one of his eyes and being very cold Toffee was unhurt.

Stephen Kirk, Guide Dogs’ director of operations, said: “We’re so grateful that someone spotted Toffee and called the RSPCA.

“Our staff were doing everything they could to look for Toffee, including combing the streets for him, as well as making sure his owner was okay.

“Like all guide dogs, Toffee has a very special relationship with his owner who was extremely concerned for his welfare.

“We’re so pleased he didn’t come to too much harm and that they’ve been reunited.

“We’ll assess Toffee in the next few days to make sure he’s able to continue guiding.”