A Jack Russell who became a national celebrity after leaping on to a busy train and travelling to London has died.

Frankie, then six, appeared on This Morning, The Chase and in various national newspapers and magazines after the Messenger reported on his escapades in 2012.

Sadly, the beloved pooch, who had a neurological disease, passed away last Wednesday. Lifelong companion Maisie, 16, was put to sleep on the same day.

Owner Jane Abbott, 53, said: “He had an amazing life. He was so energetic and was one of a kind, we’ll never be able to find another Frankie.

“My son, who is now 20, said it was like losing a childhood friend.”

Frankie became famous after being caught on CCTV darting through the legs of commuters and hopping on to a carriage at Gravesend station.

He can then be seen scurrying up the aisles in search of a seat, eventually settling for one by a window and successfully stowing away for 30 minutes before being collared by the train manager.

Jane and daughter Stephanie then had to fork out £59 to go and collect him from King’s Cross, 50 miles away.

The pooch had made the 1.6-mile trip to the station after sneaking out of his home in Porchfield Close, Gravesend, when Jane’s husband Peter Jeeves left for work at 5am.

Mother-of-three Jane said: “He’d never even been to the station and hadn’t used a train before so I was completely shocked to find out where he was.

“I remember when the story went national. We’d gone on holiday the Dominican Republic and we were getting calls from newspapers and magazines. Friends from all over the place were texting us to say they’d read about Frankie. ITV even did a reconstruction!

“He just loved the outdoors and was always trying to escape and would squeeze through the smallest of gaps. You had to have eyes everywhere!”