The Sooty franchise is focused upon the adventures of Sooty, a fictional glove puppet character created by magician and puppeteer Harry Corbett in the 1950s, alongside his other friends Sweep and Soo.

Video footage of the reunion on Sunday shows the dog, sooty and dishevelled, suddenly emerging from a neighbour’s driveway, prompting Mr Colvin to scream: “You’re alive, you’re alive.” He appears ...