It has not just been the punters enjoying the sun in the beer garden at The Old Bank pub.

The pub, a favourite haunt of journalists, has been adopted by a young grey squirrel named Stephen.

Bold as brass, the rodent nabs crisps from the hands of drinkers and stretches out in the sun on a guard rail.

Assistant manager Nigel Wilson said: "He turned up last Friday night. One of our customers saw him just randomly start climbing up people.

"He's really friendly. Bold little thing. He's climbed on my head. He's not been annoying the customers.

"His favourite food is pork scratchings. He went mad over an empty pack.

"He's tried to bury peanuts in the artificial turf. It's hilarious. We don't know where he lives, how old he is, or whether he's male or female."

In Britain, the grey squirrel is classes as an invasive species, having been introduced here before it displaced the native red squirrel.