Dalton's Peter Rabbit makes star appearance on Beatrix Potter TV show

Kevin Coulter with his red Belgian hare. JON GRANGER Kevin Coulter, of Prince Street, Dalton, proudly watched the More4 documentary, Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge , at 9pm as his show winning hare starred as the author's famous character in a scene with the BAFTA nominated actress.

The red Belgian hare was picked by the TV production company behind the one-off documentary to star in the show, and filmed with the Keeping Up Appearances actress on a train from Haverthwaite to Lakeside while she read aloud poetry and writings by the iconic Lake District author.

Miss Routledge, who is patron of the Beatrix Potter Society, was said to be amazed by how obedient Mr Coulter's hare was during the shoot.

Mr Coulter, who keeps many hares in Dalton and takes them to shows across the region, said: "The hare was a star.
The hare. JON GRANGER

"I met up with the film company and the director and Patricia and the make up artists and everybody fell in love with the hare.

"They had the hare in a carrying box and on cue popped up and wasn't startled.

"It was marvelous to be a part of it and to travel the Haverthwaite line up to the lake."

The young doe, which Mr Coulter says he might now call Patricia in honour of Patricia Routledge as she did not have a name, has won various show competitions but this topped everything she had achieved so far.

The documentary was commissioned to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Beatrix Potter who created the long-lasting characters of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle.

Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge saw the 86-year-old actress travel across the Lake District to explore how the author fell in love with the area and its wildlife, and made a stop at a farm in Woodland , Broughton, to meet local chef Gary McClure and his pigs.

She also made a visit to the Victoria & Albert Archives which is home to some of Potter's early paintings and writings.