There's nothing like the growl of an engine on the open road.

But if your car starts growling while it's parked on the drive, you're bound to be a bit surprised.

As was Michelle Daley when she lifted the bonnet of her van and saw her dog, Charlie, who had been missing for two-and-a-half weeks.

The 49-year-old was even more shocked to find the Jack Russell was perfectly fine, perched atop the battery.

'I can't believe he's alive. I've been all over Merseyside,' she said. 'I've been doing 20 or 30 miles a day.'

The six-month-old dog disappeared during a downpour, so Ms Daley thought he had gone to shelter from the rain under some bushes.

But after a long search, Charlie was nowhere to be found.

As days passed, there was no sign of him, so his worried owner put up posters around the area.

She even bought another dog, Tilly, to help her get over the loss.

But it wasn't until her partner, Paul Bradley, checked the van's oil that they made the discovery.

The pup has since fully recovered and has got a smart new nickname.

Ms Daley said: 'We call him miracle dog.'