A pet iguana had to be rescued from the roof of a pub in Kent after being discovered enjoying the sun.

Ronnie had scaled the Ship Inn’s walls to find the perfect place to bask but his concerned owner hatched a rescue plan to recover him from his precarious perch.

Ronnie was enjoying his time in the sun, when fire crews using an aerial ladder reached the top of the establishment in Folkestone and dropped a net on the surprised Ronnie, who was oblivious to his owner’s panic.

‘Runaway Ronnie’, as he has now become known locally, is thought to have escaped from a window in his owner’s home nearby and has now been safely returned.

The firefighters who saved Ronnie were helped by the RSPCA to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the reptile during the operation.

David Grant, an inspector from the RSPCA, said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever been called out to rescue an iguana, particularly one on the loose on a roof.

“He’d climbed right to the top of the pub and was sunbathing on the roof ridge. We didn’t want him to run off by frightening him unnecessarily, so we used my drop-net to capture him and we soon had him back on the ground.

“Thankfully, he hadn’t suffered any ill effects from his rooftop adventure and I was soon able to reunite him with his grateful owners who lived below.”