HE may be just a little rubber duck but Tich has been a fully-fledged member of a Bournemouth family for years.

From fancy dress parties to holidays in Benidorm and Devon, Tich has gone everywhere with his owners. Until now, that is.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Tich has escaped during his latest holiday in Wales, leaving his owners, Brian Docker and Joy Bridge, distraught.

“I know it sounds crazy but he’s been everywhere with us and we’re really upset about it,” said Joy, who lives in Charminster with her partner, Brian, 57.

“He has been with us since we first got together. We have six children between us who are all grown up but we adopted Tich when he arrived as part of a Christmas gift pack from Tesco.”

The couple believe Tich fell out of Joy’s handbag during a walk along the seafront at Penarth.

“We thought he was in the car somewhere but when we got back to Bournemouth we realised he wasn’t there,” said Joy, 49. “We ripped the car apart looking for him.”

Joy said Tich used to regularly travel on the dashboard of the car so he could see the sights on his travels.

The couple have contacted the Penarth Times newspaper in the hope that Tich has been found and are eagerly awaiting news.

“Friends have bought us about four more ducks but they’re not the same,” said Joy.