MEET Fizz the ferret - he's the roving rodent of Raglan.

The five-month-old ferret on a lead has become the talk of the small Monmouthshire town, turning heads and cutting quite a dash when he takes a stroll down Raglan high street.

Fizz belongs to 72-year-old animal lover Ray Hall, who said he sees nothing wrong with taking a ferret for a walk.

"We haven't got a garden so we needed to find another way to exercise Fizz," he said.

"So I bought a special harness and lead and started taking him for walks. Well, he takes me for walks!

"I have had quite a lot of reaction to him. People do a double take when they see us.

"Some people come up and stroke him and want to talk, others just think it's a bit weird. Some even cross the road.

"Ferrets haven't got the best reputation and people decry them, but it depends how you treat them. Fizz is quite tame."

Mr Hall said he bought the ferret on a whim from an agricultural show in the summer.

Fizz is so called because he is champagne-coloured.

He lives in a three-storey deluxe cage in Mr Hall's home, which he shares with a large collection of pets, including an aviary of birds such as cockatiels, lovebirds and parakeets, and a Jack Russell called Lady.

Mrs Hall's wife Tess is no stranger to unusual pets.

"I grew up in west Africa and when I was young we had otters, pelicans and a crocodile," she said.

"We also had a lovely elephant called Wamba who used to live in the house."