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Pony mayor banned from local pub in the United Kingdom after complaint to council

A row has broken out in an English village after the mayor, a Shetland pony, was removed from a local pub following a complaint to the council.

Patrick the Pony, known for his love of Guinness, was made unofficial Mayor of Cockington in Devon at a ceremony attended by local Conservative MP Kevin Foster.

The pony holds court from an “interaction pen” built in the garden of The Drum Inn, his favorite pub.




However, he was forced to leave after someone complained to Torbay Council, who informed the pub owners they needed planning permission for the pen and animal grazing.

As the owners didn’t want to go through the expense of applying for planning permission, Patrick’s enclosure had to be dismantled.

Reports suggest the complaint was sparked by anger at a pony being made mayor.



Patrick, who works as a therapy pony in local hospitals and schools, first became acquainted with The Drum Inn during the coronavirus pandemic. His owner, Kirk Petrakis, took Patrick to the pub to raise morale while the world battled the deadly disease.

The pony soon gained a dedicated fanbase, with hundreds signing a petition to see him become the village’s mayor after Don Mills, the previous mayor, passed away in 2019.