Policeman Mark Wallace ended up feeling like he was in a scene from 101 Dalmations when he came to the rescue of nine puppies on a village road on Sunday.

PC Wallace could hardly believe his eyes when he spotted the puppies and an adult dog near Worton just before 2pm. A woman driver was trying without much luck to round them up and was delighted when PC Wallace, who was driving an unmarked BMW, stopped to help.

He said: “It was ridiculous, as fast as I was trying to get the puppies in the back of my car they were jumping out again.”

The four weimaraner puppies and five kelpe/Australian Shepherd crosses were with an adult female Kelpe cross.

PC Wallace, a member of the roads policing unit, said: “It really was like something from 101 Dalmations. I haven’t had as much fun in a long time. As I wasn’t able to open the door to place them inside, I wound down the rear nearside window and placed them onto the back seat, one at a time”

Eventually PC Tracey Doughty from the dog section arrived to help PC Wallace and the motorist and she took the mother dog into her van.

PC Wallace said: “At this point the pups seemed to decide that they wanted to see what we were talking about as they all made their way to the front of my vehicle where various paws and noses were gainfully employed pressing all the buttons within the cockpit. Between them they managed to activate the in-car video system, the blue lights, the stop sign and also the small magnetic blue lamp. It was awesome and brilliantly funny.”

The puppies continued to cause a stir when PC Wallace took them to Trowbridge police station. He said: “You have never seen a police station empty so quickly. Everyone wanted to see them and have a cuddle.”

Eventually the relieved owner of the dogs turned up and was delighted all the dogs were accounted for. She had been out and when she returned home to her house between Worton and Poulshot the dogs were missing.

PC Wallace said: “She was very grateful that we had managed to get them all to safety. She was overjoyed to see them and to know that they were safe and well. I would like to thank the female motorist for all of her help.”