Burly builder drives along with squirrel on his head after his daughter rescued the orphaned animal 

A builder has become ‘inseparable’ from an orphaned squirrel that his daughter rescued – and even lets it sit on his head when he drives his van.

The squirrel was found lying at the side of the road by Daisy Pederson, 25, in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire a day after its mother had died.

She took the squirrel home and her father Nick, 54, became besotted with the rodent, named Planet, and built him a cage so he could live in his daughter’s bedroom.

Nick Pederson, 54, (pictured) drives around in his van with Planet the squirrel on his head and lying across his shoulder. His daughter brought the squirrel home after discovering it orphaned near their home in Grimsby

The relationship between Nick and Planet blossomed and Daisy posted a video of the pair of them playing on her TikTok, which has now been viewed more than 1.3million times.

In the footage, Planet is seen lying on the top of Nick’s head while he drives his van.

The squirrel is also seen crawling over the builder’s shoulders and climbing through the front pocket of his jumper. 

Daisy, who works in sales, said: ‘They’re inseparable. They don’t leave each other alone. 

‘It’s all just so unexpected. Dad has a skinhead, is covered in tattoos and is a builder so it’s even more endearing how much he loves Planet. 

The squirrel was found lying at the side of the road by Daisy Pederson, 25, (pictured) a day after a neighbour claimed they saw another squirrel get hit by a car, thought to be Planet’s mother

Planet nibbles away with his head inside of a food bag as Daisy holds him up on her hand

‘There’s this man with a shaved head, so seeing him going gooey-eyed over a squirrel is just so funny. 

‘It was pretty much love at first sight. He looks at him like he’s a baby.’

A neighbour claims to have seen another squirrel get hit by a car the day before Daisy rescued Planet, who she thought at first had been a hedgehog.

Daisy said: ‘Planet must have gone looking for her and obviously she wasn’t alive any more, so he just curled up. 

‘If I hadn’t known he was an orphan, I wouldn’t have brought him home. 

Love at first sight: Nick became bessoted with Planet straight away and built him a cage so he could stay in Daisy’s room

Hanging out: Planet scampers over Nick while he talks on the phone. Nick would often take PLanet to the builder’s merchants to show him off to his friends

‘I brought him back in a shoe box. That same day dad built him a cage out of some old chest of drawers. He then stayed in my bedroom for the next eight weeks. 

‘Every day he would play in the garden for four hours. When he was tired he would run back upstairs to his bedroom of his own accord.’

Daisy’s mother Amanda, 54, was sceptical about having Planet in her home where two terriers also live but Nick took the squirrel under his wing.

Nick showed Planet to his friend’s at the builder’s merchants who all took photos with the squirrel. 

In recent weeks Planet has stayed with Daisy’s boyfriend and his family in Leicester who have more space and whenever she visits she FaceTimes her father so he can see Planet.

Backseat driver: Planet crawls over Nick’s arm (left) and hides in the front pocket of his jumper (right)

However, a licence was not granted to the family to keep Planet so he is being sent to Whitby Wildlife Centre on July 11 to live with 10 other squirrels.

Daisy said: ‘Dad knows it’s the best thing for Planet to go and live with other squirrels but I’m sure he’ll be really sad. 

‘Because I rescued him when he was a baby, Planet doesn’t really understand danger. So he climbed onto our next door’s neighbour roof and sat by their cat. I had to grab him down quickly, so we do need to be a bit careful with him. 

‘There was no way he was going to be euthanised when the licence request was rejected so the wildlife centre will be the best place for him.’