A BLUE-blooded border collie from Barningham has given birth to her very own canine football team.

Three-year-old Misty astonished her owner, Bill Bell, by having 11 pups with her first litter.

Mr Bell, 70, a retired hill shepherd, said: "It's unbelievable to have 11 for the first litter; usually they only have five or six at her age."

He told how he was woken in the early hours of May 11 as Misty began her remarkable labour.

"I got up at about 1am after I heard some whimpering going on. I went out to the small barn and there were three of them, then five, then seven. By lunchtime there were 11."

He added: "I honestly expected a few to die, but she's got so much milk and is such a good mum that she has reared them all."

The pups were got by prizewinning dog Tan Hill Bob, owned by Alec Baines, landlord of the famous Tan Hill pub.

Misty also comes from a line of top trials dogs. Her mother, Clifton Flash, won 33 prize tickets and her grandfather was international champion twice.

She and her three brown and white and eight black and white pups are all fit and well.