WITH VIDEO: A brave chicken managed to escape from its free range farm and hitch a ride on the back of a lorry to Sussex.

The hitch-hiking hen was discovered at Benfell's wholesale foods in Hurstpierpoint as workers were collecting their delivery of eggs.

Owner Clive Benfell said the whole store was stunned to spot the feathered freeloader hiding between the cab and the arctic on the lorry.

He said: “It was one of our drivers who saw it. He spotted it sitting there behind the cab on the petrol tank.

“It only got off the lorry when our driver tried to pick it up and started to run off.”

Mr Benfell said the lorry driver who delivered the eggs had been to a farm in Slough and another in Kent before coming to his store in Allbourne Road.

It means the chicken runaway could have travelled for almost 100 miles around the M25 and through several counties before finally ending up safely in Sussex.

Mr Benfell added: “It is a mystery how it managed to get here. We want to know where it came from.

“There is quite a lot of room between the cab and arctic but it is a miracle the chicken survived, especially if it drove all the way around the M25.”

The store was then faced with the dilemma of what to do with their plucky, clucking friend.

Fortunately a kindly neighbour came to their aid, having already housed three other battery hens that had been rescued from farms.

The brave bird is now getting to know its new family in Hurstpierpoint though everyone is keeping a close eye on the Houdini hen to make sure it does not try another disappearing act.

In the meantime the chicken is currently nameless and Benfell's is asking readers of The Argus to give it a name that matches its adventurous spirit.

Mr Benfell said: “We thought about calling it Friday as the name of the delivery drivers it hitched a ride on was called Fridays.

“But we reckon the readers of The Argus will be able to come up with a better name.”

Let us know what you think the bird should be called and we will let you know the winner next week.