The Halzephron Inn has been named as the most pooch-friendly pub in the south west.

The Lizard Peninsula hostelry fought off fierce competition from a number of watering holes, but held on to the top spot to win the DogBuddy.com award.

Claire Murray, landlady at The Halzephron Inn said: “This is an amazing award to win, as it is our customers who have recognised the hard work and effort put in by our team to make every customer feel welcome.

"Being dog-friendly is very important to us; our business is located on the South West coastal path with stunning views. Being able to welcome our furry friends with a bit of refreshment gives owners a reason to head to us.”

The awards recognise pubs across the UK that truly embrace "paw power" and welcome not just two, but four-legged customers as well.

Other Cornish pubs to finish in the top ten in the south west were the St Kew Inn, near Wadebridge (8th), and Sonder, in Truro (9th).

Richard Setterwall, founder and CEO of DogBuddy, added: “For the third year running, DogBuddy – with the help of dog lovers up and down the country - has been searching for the best of the best when it comes to dog-friendly pubs, with The Halzephron Inn, we’ve found just that.

"The superb service demonstrated shows a real consideration for dog welfare and happiness, which we at DogBuddy value above all. The whole DogBuddy pack is proud to congratulate The Halzephron Inn on winning the dog-friendly Pub Award for the South West and hopes that the awards will inspire dog owners country-wide to discover and support their local pubs.”

The Halzephron Inn is one of 12 regional finalists in this year’s nation-wide Dog-friendly Pub Awards.

The national winner was The Dog, at Grundisburgh in Suffolk.