CROUCHED in a field in darkness, tapping a bowl, Keith Jessop wondered how it had come to this.

Passing motorists were taken aback by his peculiar pose, unaware of his attempt to find his missing cat Sammy after it climbed aboard a supermarket delivery van for an adventure in the East Yorkshire countryside.

Keith was sent on the hunt for Sammy after the family pet sprang out on the unsuspecting delivery driver at the next stop on his rounds, disappearing into the night.

"He usually comes when we tap his dinner bowl, said Keith, 50.

"So, that's how I found myself down a little country lane in the middle of nowhere, tapping his dish and calling his name.

"A car went past and saw me – they must have thought I was some kind of weirdo."

Sammy climbed aboard an Asda delivery van after it dropped off some shopping at the home of Karen and Keith Jessop in Long Riston.

"We couldn't believe it when he got in an Asda van and jumped out miles down the road," Karen said.

"He could probably smell the food in the back.

"I'm still waiting for Asda to call us and say 20 tins of tuna are missing."

Karen and Keith had requested an Asda shopping delivery on Tuesday night.

Sammy, a silver Bengal, had been his usual investigative self, sniffing around the delivery man as he dropped off the goods.

But it was not until the man returned 45 minutes later that Karen and Keith realised their beloved pet had hitched a lift.

Karen said: "I just thought the man was returning because he'd forgotten one of the bags.

"But then he said at his next stop Sammy had jumped out and frightened the life out of him.

"He was so apologetic and even offered to take us back to where he'd last seen him."

After getting some directions, Keith set off from the Jessop's family home in searching of the missing moggy, pulling into a remote country lane about five miles down the road.

Keith, 50, spent almost half an hour searching for Sammy when he was about to give up hope.

He said: "I sent a text to Karen, saying I couldn't find him and was heading back.

"But just as I was about to leave, I saw something move in front of the car headlights.

"It took me a while to coax Sammy back – he was obviously having such a good time he didn't want to come home.

"He kept meowing and making a fuss all the way back."

Sammy's escapades are nothing new to Karen, 40, Keith and their two children Connor, 8, and Sophie, 6.

He can often be found in the strangest of places – including the washing machine.

Karen said: "The day before his adventure, he lost his collar – we have no idea how – so if the Asda man hadn't returned, we wouldn't have stood a chance of getting him back.

"We so grateful to him for returning – we're just sorry Sammy scared the life out of him."