NOT even fire crews or the RSPCA could tempt Deano the iguana from his spot of sunbathing half way up a 30ft tree. Sarah Kennet, 41, of Ashleigh in Stevenage was sitting in her back garden with her seven-year-old pet iguana on Friday. Sarah popped inside

NOT even fire crews or the RSPCA could tempt Deano the iguana from his spot of sunbathing half way up a 30ft tree.

Sarah Kennet, 41, of Ashleigh in Stevenage was sitting in her back garden with her seven-year-old pet iguana on Friday.

Sarah popped inside the house and when she returned she found Deano had disappeared. After a frantic search she saw that he was 15ft up an apple tree.

Sarah said: "I was alarmed. I certainly couldn't get up there to get him. It looked like he was sunbathing."

She called the fire service who attended but they suggested that Deano would come down when the sun went in. The RSPCA also shared this view.

But hours went by and rather than coming down Deano climbed higher - up to 25ft.

"We tried to shake the tree but he wasn't coming down. He looked very settled," said Sarah.

He was up there nine hours before a friend of Sarah's used ladders to get him down.

Sarah said: "He is safely back at home now. It is good for iguanas to be outside and not spend all their time in their tanks but I'll be keeping an even closer eye on him now.