A dog that went missing for three days after running off from a car crash near Denholme has been found.

Nine-month-old Cocker Spaniel Ruby disappeared after escaping through a smashed window of Scott Alderson and Rebecca Hall’s Ford Fiesta moments after it had flipped and landed on its roof.

Miss Hall, 20, said her beloved pet, which was on the back seat of the car, had probably run off because it was “absolutely terrified” following the crash on Sunday.

Ruby was briefly spotted by a witness at the scene, but then disappeared on to nearby moorland.

But yesterday an eagle-eyed dog walker spotted Ruby on a ledge in a quarry near the Flappit pub at Flappit Spring to bring an end to days of worry for her owners.

Fire crews from Cleckheaton were called to the scene and they sent a firefighter down a rope to get the dog before it was reunited with Miss Hall and 25-year-old Mr Alderson.

Watch commander Darren Haley said Ruby was on a ledge about 40 or 50 metres down from the top, and which had a drop to the ground of about 30 metres.

“She probably climbed up there in a panic,” he said. “We don’t know how long she had been up there.

“It was a 20 or 25-minute rescue in quite difficult conditions – it was really windy.”

He added: “The owners were waiting at the bottom – it was quite an emotional scene.”

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus before Ruby was found, Miss Hall said she and her boyfriend had not slept since Sunday.

Miss Hall said: “She means a lot to us. We have had her since she was a puppy and she is always by our side. It must have been an absolute shock for her.”

News of Ruby’s disappearance reached as far as New Zealand, said Miss Hall, who added: “My friend shared it on Facebook with her friends back in Bradford.”

The crash happened as the couple were travelling along Halifax Road, Flappit Spring, at about 3.30pm. Mr Alderson, of Keighley, was driving and was knocked unconscious in the smash.

Miss Hall, who managed to get out of the car and flag down help, said: “The weather was bad – and it was really misty. As we come round one corner a cat ran out in front of us. He braked and the car aquaplaned, hit an embankment and flipped on to its roof.”

The couple were taken to hospital for treatment, with Miss Hall adding: “We are black and blue, but have got no serious injuries. But we haven’t been resting, we have been looking for Ruby.”