A dog who is presumed to have got lost during the Hackney riots “miraculously” escaped with his life after being run over by a train on Tuesday morning (August 9).

The London Overground driver, who only saw the Staffordshire bull terrier on the tracks just as her train went over him near Dalston Kingsland Station, is appealing for the dog’s owner to come forward so the pair can be reunited.

Emily Malcher told the Gazette: “I phoned the signaller who arranged for someone to go down and rescue him because I thought he might still be alive.

“I think he crouched so low in the middle of the tracks that I managed to go right over the top of him. But if he was a bit to the left or the right he’d be dead now, or would have at least lost a limb. It’s a miracle he survived.”

Mrs Malcher said the black and brown staffie was wearing a light blue collar with a lead still attached to it, and she believes he had become separated from his owner during the chaotic riots, which had erupted in Hackney the night before.

The borough’s animal warden was contacted and took the dog to Abbey Veterinary Clinic, in Dalston Lane, for emergency treatment.

Head nurse Rachel Leech said: “He was clearly in shock – he was disorientated, unable to stand, and he was shaking.

“We put him on medication to stop the side effects of the shock and he’s on antibiotics because he has a few puncture wounds. We don’t know how he got those, but we think he might have scratched himself on a fence getting down to the tracks.

“It was 50 / 50 whether he’d make it through the night, so we’re really pleased he did.”

The dog was micro-chipped and staff laughed when they discovered his name is “Lucky” – but the rest of the information is out of date.

Mrs Leech suspects the dog has since changed hands, and the new owner has not updated the records.

She said: “We worry that somebody took him out during the riots as a tool or a weapon, and in that case we don’t really want him going back to that situation.

“Normally people come forward if they’ve lost a dog, but we haven’t heard anything.

“We’re not sure what he’s been through. He’s not aggressive, but he’s so nervous he doesn’t really like leaving his kennel.

“He wags his tail when you say his name and he likes it when we tickle him behind his ears and make a fuss of him.”

Anybody with information about Lucky should call reporter Chloe Mayer on 020 8477 3774.