Patrick the pony was banned from the local (Triangle News)
The honorary mayor of a Devon town has been left defiant after being banned from his local pub.
Council bosses banned beer-loving pony Patrick from The Drum Inn in Cockington, where he was often seen drinking pints of Guinness.
Authorities told the pub it needed planning permission to let the four-year-old walk in the garden, which was to be changed to official grazing land.
Although he is not allowed to drink in the area or meet with residents, Patrick’s owners have promised that he will remain mayor after his election on July 23.
Owners Kirk and Hannah Petrakis, from Torbay, claimed he had been targeted by violent “bullies” who tried to push him out after the council made the decision when it received a complaint from a member of the public.
Kirk, 44, said: “Patrick is not going anywhere.
“He is still the mayor in the eyes of many people – even in the eyes of the local MP!
“We will continue for now, just going into schools, hospitals and intensive care units.
“If we had a vote on it, the whole of Torbay would vote for him to stay.
“We will still go on and this is by no means the end of Patrick the pony.”
Patrick the pony with friends Annie and Cowboy (Triangle News)
Patrick, a Shetland pony, first visited the pub two years ago to help him get used to the crowds.
It is vital to Patrick’s role as a therapy horse helping the elderly and people with special needs.
Kirk and his wife Hannah, 37, built the barn at the pub after local residents wanted the pony’s presence in the village.
The pub has supported the couple and is also devastated by the news.
Hannah, who runs K&H Cocklington Carriages with her husband, added: “The pub has seen how much it benefits everyone who lives in this area.
“He’s still mayor of Cockington and we’re still hoping to get things going – the pub is fantastic and so are most of the people in the village.
“The chemical has been out for almost a year, so we think someone may have objected to him being mayor.”
Patrick used to go to the pub every day, but that has since dropped to once a week after he moved further afield for better winter grazing.
Now the couple is looking for a new place for people to visit.
Locals had approached the couple, horrified that Patrick had died after not seeing him in his usual place.
Patrick works as a therapy horse helping the elderly and people with special needs (Triangle News)
Torbay Conservative MP Kevin Foster, 43, criticized Torbay Council’s move, saying they were a “complete joke”.
A spokesman for Torbay Council said: “We can confirm that, following a complaint from a member of the public, enforcement action has been taken against the erection of an unauthorized wooden fence and the display of advertisements in the beer garden of the Drum Inn, Cockington.
“It is in a designated conservation area and it is next to a listed building and we need to ensure that historic areas like this are protected from unauthorized construction.
“The council has not received or approved any planning applications for a fence or change of use for horses.”
Patrick was elected mayor in a ceremony on July 23 after hundreds backed an online campaign to elect him to the post following the death of previous mayor Don Mills.
Patrick is the official mascot of the War Horse Memorial and visits hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers along with raising money for local causes, two units of ADD and Ukraine.
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