Most elderly folks enjoy having their grandchildren around for tea - but one granddaughter always brings a friendly naay-bour for some horseplay.

Anita Collett cares for her bedridden grandmother Violet Collett, 83, at their home in Main Street, Grove, with the help of her 80-year-old grandfather Francis.

But once a month she always brings her 12-year-old pony Ginger into the house for a cuppa too.

The 29-year-old said: "It all started when I used to take her out riding and keep her in the garage briefly if it rained.

"Before we knew it, she was on the lawn and then in the house. Nan loves it when she comes in."

Anita's mother Teresa Collett, 54, of Stanford in the Vale, said: "We just let her wander around in the house.

"My mum will stroke her and she likes to give her a peppermint - she likes Polos best.

"Mum's always happy when she's been here and she has a smile on her face."

The 13-hand Welsh chestnut mare enjoys swapping her stable door for a front door so much she normally stops for about an hour each time.

Ms Collett said: "She goes though the garage door, into the utility room, along the hall and into the dining room.

"She's very well behaved, you won't get a better pony. She's very sweet natured.

"We like to take her into the dining room because that's were mum's bed is.

"She knows the house well now and she knows where everything is - she is quite happy about coming in."

But the family admit the pesky pony is not always so well behaved and occasionally helps herself to snacks from the kitchen.

Ms Collett said: "I think she likes the kitchen because she knows she can get a loaf of dad's bread. She did that one day.

"At Christmas, she tried to eat a tablecloth which had snow flakes on it. I think she thought the patterns were Polo mints.

"This year, she ate one of the Christmas presents. She just grabbed a chrysanthemum from the scullery and ate the whole thing."

They also had a few funny looks from neighbours when on Christmas Day a few years ago, Ginger was seen strolling out of the front door.

Ms Collett said: "You should have seen their faces - they didn't know what to think."

But when it comes to answering the call of nature, it seems there is no cause for concern. Ms Collett said Ginger knows the rules.

She said: "I think she must be toilet trained. She has never been yet - and she has been here quite a few times over the years."