Thanks for all the good advice, it's much appreciated. I now know how to proceed in the unlikely event of it happening again. :fore:
[Though personally I prefer KenL's suggestion]!
Regarding the ball, yes, I did just leave it - I didn't want a ball that much;) [however, it wasn't there two...
During a recent 4 ball better ball, playing the par 5 15th. I played my second shot [from the fairway], about 160 yards - again down the middle. On arrival at my ball I was more than disappointed to find that during it's last few rolls it had gone through a large, somewhat soft, pile of animal...