A woman was stunned when she encountered a wallaby as she drove to work.

Heather Smith from Bethersden turned off the A28 to follow the road that leads to Magpie Hall Road at 8.45am last Saturday when she saw something hopping in front of her car.

Mrs Smith, of Ashford Road, said: “I thought it was a hare at first but they run on four legs and this was hopping.

“At first, I thought it was a baby kangaroo, but then I realised there were no kangaroos in this country.

“Then I remembered that some wallabies had been seen in Smarden years back.”

A surprised Mrs Smith phoned her husband Robert who asked if she had taken a photo, but unfortunately she hadn’t.

The Kent Messenger Group has reported several sightings of wallabies in recent years, with most seeming to come from the Lenham/Harrietsham area close to Maidstone.

Full story in this week's Kentish Express.