A PIT pony statue has been protected from the elements by caring folk who have covered his head and back with a fetching matching scarf and blanket.

The miners’ memorial statue on the roundabout, near to Wheatley Hill, Peterlee, County Durham, has been amusing passing motorists.

Trevor Smith, who sent the picture to The Northern Echo, said: “Some kind person either has a sense of humour or is an animal lover.”