Was it trying to get to Barking? A police dog unit was called in last night after a runaway dog closed the Blackwall Tunnel, causing long tail-backs.

The dog was spotted inside the northbound tunnel at around 9.50pm last night, causing the tunnel's closure for around 15 minutes.

Transport for London kept drivers aware of the situation in a series of updates on their traffic Twitter feed.

They wrote: "Blackwall Tunnel Dog - Police Dog unit is now in attendance. Officers are trying to coax the dog out, who is currently hiding under a 4x4."

And they added a short while later: "Police now have the dog "in custody" so tunnel should reopen shortly."

Finally, they tweeted: "To put a few minds at ease, the dog looked to be  OK on CCTV... just a little scared."

The incident gave Twitter wags the chance to make a few truly paw-ful puns.

 

 

The tunnel has previously been closed by pedestrians, cyclists and even a portable toilet.