A bear jumped from a van in a bid for freedom and went for a spot of shopping in Wirral following a cheeky mistake.
Bruno the bear was on his way from the old New Brighton zoo, which was situated under the former tower, to TV studios in Manchester when he got loose in September 1961.
Walter Marsden was the driver of the van at the time, now 90-years-old he relived the experience and told the ECHO : "I was 30 at the time, living in Manchester and working as a delivery driver.
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"I delivered newspapers to newsagents starting at 2.30am and then we would stay on and be hired out to whoever needed a van.
"At the time I ended up doing at lot of work for ABC TV and Granada and one day I was asked to pick up a bear from New Brighton zoo.
"I had said I was due to finish, but my boss told me there were no day drivers available and said 'it would only take an hour' - I was quick, but I was not that quick."
A dutiful worker, Walter took on the job and made his way to pick up baby bear Bruno to take him to his TV debut.
Walter said: "They told me it was very safe because the bear would be in a wooden crate.
"But I hadn't even driven a mile before the bear jumped off the van - but I hadn't noticed.
"When I got to ABC Studios the guy came out and then said to me 'where's the bear?'
"I thought 'what on earth are you talking about?' and told him it was in the wooden crate - but it wasn't it was gone."
Bruno had leapt to freedom at the junction at Molyneux Drive and the seven-month-old Himalayan bear decided to go for a spot of shopping along Seabank Road.
He soon found himself in a shop owned by Mr Vivian McMullen at number 218 who said he had been taking stock when he felt a tug on his trouser leg.
He told the ECHO on September 7, 1961: "I got the shock of my life when I turned round and found a baby bear about four feet tall behind the counter with me."
The startled shopkeeper shooed Bruno into the rear part of the shop and up the stairs leading to his flat, he said: "I called to my wife Elizabeth not to be frightened and together we tempted the bear into the spare room with apples and bars of chocolate.
"He clearly had a bear-sized appetite."
Mr Leslie Jones was the New Brighton zookeeper at the time and carried Bruno from Mr McMullen's flat, put a lead on him and walked him back to the zoo.
Bruno had sustained a small cut on his head following his adventure from the van, but was well enough to make his TV appearance the following day.
Walter said: "I went to pick him up the next day and this time he made it to the studio.
Walter added: "I have told people but they often don't believe me - but things like that happened in those days."
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