Poppy's pups

Poppy the St Bernard dog has proved to be a real supermum - after giving birth to 13 puppies.

The 12-stone dog was in labour for eight hours as she produced the staggering litter.

But owners Alan and Angela Bateman, from Hankham near Eastbourne, were left shocked because a scan suggested she would only have three pups.

Mother-of-five Mrs Bateman said the only thought in her mind when the 13th puppy arrived was: "Oh my goodness." She told BBC South East Today that after Poppy had given birth to six puppies, she said: "That's cool, we can cope with six. Then it just got laughable, with puppy eight, puppy nine, puppy 10, puppy 11."

Mrs Bateman said she was advertising for buyers for the seven-week-old litter of nine males and four females. A 14th was stillborn.

Jim Cootes, secretary of the South of England St Bernard Club, said 13 puppies was a surprisingly high number. "The usual number is around about eight. You don't hear of double figures that much. She [Poppy] is obviously very fertile and she's done very well."

But Mr Cootes also had a warning for any would-be owners. "The problem is finding the right home for them. When they're eight weeks old, they're absolutely irresistible. But when they get to be a year to a year-and-a-half old, they can weight 10 stone (140lbs, 64kg) upwards."

And vet Becky Hartwell added: "They're going to eat a lot... and you need space for them to have exercise and room for them to lie down and be comfortable."