Steam railway enthusiasts came to the rescue of a century old locomotive when it got stranded in a car park.

The Pug - a four wheeled shunter - became marooned miles from its home on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, to where it was being transported on a low-loader.

It spent Monday night in the car park of Ponden Mill at Stanbury, near Haworth, after hauliers were unable to deliver it to Ingrow yard on the Worth Valley line - because the gates were locked.

And what was expected to be a brief journey up the hill to pick up the keys turned into a nightmare for the driver and his mate when he was unable to turn round the 75ft long low loader and trailer.

He eventually ended up six miles away, having negotiated some of the narrowest roads in the Keighley area, outside the entrance to Ponden Mill, the only convenient place he could park the vehicle for the night.

"When we found the gates closed in Keighley we got in touch with a member of the railway and they instructed us where to pick the key up and said we could turn round. But we couldn't," he said.

"We ended up here, but it still took us four hours to get the trailer into the car park. We had just millimetres to spare," he added.

Railway officials arranged for a set of jacks to be delivered to enable the low loader to be slid sideways and allow it to be driven gingerly along the narrow access road and back onto the main Haworth road.

The loco was eventually delivered safely to Ingrow yard, where it was due to be repainted.

K&WVR member, Robin Higgins, a member of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust, which owns the Pug, said the engine had got into difficulties on its journey from East Lancashire Railway at Bury, where it had been on loan.

"It's due to take part in the enthusiasts' weekend at Haworth this weekend, when it will be one of a number of engines and carriages working the line.

"It's painted green at present because it takes on the role of Percy at our Thomas weekends. But its original colour is black and it will need re-painting in time."

The loco had been painted so many times in the last five years that there were 48 coats on the bodywork, he added.

The Pug eventually reached Ingrow yard by road, then was taken by rail to Haworth station where on Wednesday it was prepared for the enthusiasts weekend by getting a new coat of black paint.