A RUNAWAY terrier who went missing for two weeks has been reunited with his family in Corringham...after being found in Croydon.

Gillie, a 13-year-old Yorkshire terrier, was found between two garages in the south London town on Sunday, about 36 miles away from the family home on the Frost Estate, where he got out through a broken side gate on Saturday, July 12.

It is not clear howhe got to Croydon, but the pup was reunited with his family after a Facebook campaign in Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham snowballed – leading some residents to set up search parties.

Joanne Smith, who first set eyes on Gillie when he was just 20 minutes old, was thrilled to be reunited with him.

She said: “We’re over the moon – thank you to everyone on Facebook and everyone in Stanford and Corringham who helped.

“The link was made through a Stanford resident who knows someone wholives inCroydon. Those people who had found him were desperately trying to find his owners.

“I phoned them and the lady wanted me to give her some of Gillie’s distinctive markings. They matched up and so we went down there to get him at about 4.10pm last Thursday – he went absolutely ballistic!

“We’re delighted and relieved.”

Gillie was reunited with Joanne’s equally delighted grandfather, John Bond, 82, who lives with the dog in Corringham, on Saturday after returning from holiday.

Joanne said her grandad had been devastated by the loss of his four-legged friend.

The dog, who is normally very homely and not particularly adventurous, was significantly skinnier than he had been before he went missing, but Joanne said had been well looked after since being found.

He is thought to have been out in the vicious thunderstorms that battered Britain a week ago. He has now been given the all-clear by a vet, but will need a few good meals to pork up after a distressing fortnight.

Joanne added: “We don’t know how he got to Croydon, but he certainly didn’t walk there.”

The campaign to find Gillie turned him into a local star – and he will be at a fundraising event for St John Ambulance, being organised by Joanne’s friend Julie Sorrell-Wilde, taking place at Orsett Showground on Saturday, August 30, for well-wishers to have pictures taken with him.