The dog, a seven-year-old black labrador, had become lost in Lynn after his 68-year-old owner, from March, Cambridgeshire, was taken ill while out Christmas shopping.

The man thought he had parked his Citroen Picasso car in town on Thursday (20).

He was, however, taken to the town's Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Friday night (21) after collapsing near Morrison's just after 9pm.

It was not until Saturday (22) that he remembered the dog. The RSPCA, police and traffic wardens were alerted, sparking a town-wide search for the car, it being feared Cracker had been left inside.

"By Sunday morning, we had still not found the car," said RSPCA regional superintendent Tim Wass, adding the search was then widened, even to the point of live local radio broadcasts which spurred everyone into action.

The car was eventually found in Queen Mary Road, Gaywood, by a taxi driver at around 8pm on Sunday (23) - but there was no sign of Cracker.

"Even nurses at the hospital finishing their shifts were out looking for the dog," said Mr Wass, who said the search was then widened to kennels outside the immediate area and the dog, which had been found and handed over to Ocobo-Mystyle kennels at Shouldham Thorpe, was located.

The dog, which seems none the worse for his ordeal, was reunited with his owner on Christmas Eve, making for a merry Christmas ending.

Cracker will stay at the kennels without charge until his owner is well enough to have him back again.