Two horses were among a crowd of animals that dropped in for breakfast at a North Devon pub on Sunday morning.

The Poltimore Inn in North Molton hosted a special pet-friendly big breakfast to raise money for North Devon Hospice – and invited locals to bring along their creatures, great and small.

Landlord Alan Boddington made the unusual decision after realising the event fell on St Francis of Assisi’s Day, the patron saint of animals.

“We ended up with two horses and lots of dogs, of all shapes and sizes,” said Alan.

“One of our guests bought five dogs with her. It was a lot of fun, though a bit of a squash when Jessie the horse decided to come into the bar.

“We had a brilliant morning, and served more than 120 breakfasts, twice the number we were expecting,” he added.

“Our staff worked really hard and we raised at least £850 for North Devon Hospice, and we have more money still coming in.

“We want to thank everyone who supported us on Sunday and donated money so generously. We are also very grateful to local suppliers many of whom donated food for free for the event.”

“North Devon Hospice is a very popular charity locally,” added Alan. “My own family has benefitted from its wonderful facilities and ongoing support, as have many other friends and people in the village.

“We were delighted to be able to raise so much money.”