After his feed, seven-week-old Charlie snuggles in the lounge to watch TV with the family before bed time.

The twist in this tale of family bliss is that Charlie is a miniature Shetland pony who has become one of the family since moving into the Gibbon's Weybridge home at five days old.

Charlie faced being shot after his mother was found dead in a field, so Karen Gibbon stepped in to save him.

"When I heard the owners were planning to shoot him, I just had to step in," she said. "He's so sweet, I couldn't let that happen. I gave my husband a call and when I got home with Charlie, he had already got a bottle and duvet ready for him."

During the day, the pony is taken to stables in Ripley, where Mrs Gibbon keeps two other horses. He used to travel on her daughter's lap but now hops into the dog's kennel in the boot and patiently sits during the eight mile journey.

He gets through 250ml of milk every two hours and has developed an expensive appetite for the garden's rose petals.

"It is like having a baby. He is an absolute scavenger and will eat anything he comes across. Cat food, plants, balloons, you name it," said Mrs Gibbon.

Her two children love having him there and play with him in the garden. Their lurcher dog, Stanley, has also befriended Charlie and joins in with the garden fun, although cat Sadie is somewhat less impressed.

"He used to sleep in a duvet in the lounge, but now we've converted our shed into a mini-stable. He just comes and goes, popping in when he feels like saying hello," added Mrs Gibbons, who has started thinking about his long-term future.

"It's a huge commitment to have a horse, a business, a dog to walk and children to look after and my husband and I do occasionally argue over it. But Charlie's just too sweet to get rid of."