A man whose dog bit through his passport has completed a 1,042-mile round trip to try and get a replacement.

Steve Hunt discovered a half-eaten passport in his study on September 26, with an entire corner missing thanks to his one-year-old cockapoo, Hattie.

Dereham Times: Steve Hunt, from Dereham, is travelling Belfast to replace his passport after his dog Hattie ate his passport.Steve Hunt, from Dereham, is travelling Belfast to replace his passport after his dog Hattie ate his passport. (Image: Archant 2021)

He had planned to go holiday to Cyprus with his wife, Louise, next week.

Determined to get a replacement, the retired police officer managed to book a non-refundable fast-track appointment for £147 at a passport office on Tuesday.

The catch? It was 521 miles away in Belfast.

Thankfully, as Mr Hunt journeyed to the Northern Irish capital, there were no further hiccups to compound the situation.

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“You know what it's like with travelling and the multitude of things that can happen in a day to upset the apple cart," he said.

"But nothing - for the first time ever - went wrong. From the moment I set off, everything went like clockwork.

"There were no problems getting to the airport, parking was fine and I got through security in around ten minutes. It was all smooth sailing."

Having travelled so far, Mr Hunt admitted to feeling "short-changed" following what was perhaps the shortest appointment he will ever attend.

Dereham Times: Steve Hunt's passport which has been eaten by his cockapoo, Hattie.Steve Hunt's passport which has been eaten by his cockapoo, Hattie. (Image: Archant 2021)

He said: “I got to the passport office, plonked myself down on the seat and within a minute I was out the door again.

“The guy at the passport office was very sympathetic and said he would do his best to get it through.”

Before flying home, Mr Hunt even enjoyed a whistle-stop tour of Belfast - making sure there was time for a Guinness, of course.

Now, Mr Hunt can do no more and simply faces a nervous wait to see whether his application will be processed in time.

Dereham Times: Hattie the cockapoo who ate her owner, Steve Hunt's, passport.Hattie the cockapoo who ate her owner, Steve Hunt's, passport. (Image: Archant 2021)

With a 6.10am flight to Cyprus on Wednesday, he can only hope the passport arrives by Tuesday.

“It was a long day but hopefully it would have been worth it,” said Mr Hunt.

“Louise works at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital and deserves a break.”

• Do you have any wacky tales of your pet causing carnage? Email dftnews@archant.co.uk.