After a bleak start, a pony found abandoned on wasteland is now enjoying some festive comfort - including the company of a toy horse which has become his favourite companion.
The little piebald colt, just four months old, was discovered on land in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, back in October and was rescued by RSPCA inspector Heidi Cleaver who describes how he has been left among rubbish and bins. But this Christmas now sees him well on the road to recovery at a rescue centre in Chester-le-Street where he has made a very special friend.
The pony initially had to be kept in isolation so staff, who named him Aston, gave him a stuffed toy horse for company. And, although he has since gone on to make real horse friends, Aston loves his toy so much that he still sleeps with it at night.
