DONKEYS, who spent the summer taking punters for rides up and down sandy beaches, are now looking for a place to rest for the winter, a spokeswoman for the Donkey Sanctuary said yesterday.

The owner of Parker’s Donkeys, which provide donkey rides on Great Yarmouth’s beach in Suffolk during the summer months, is looking for places for its animals to get a “well deserved break”.

Owner Hayley Bulgin, 40, is appealing for suitable holiday homes around East Anglia for her beloved Noddy, Trigger, Cracker, Darcy, Willie and others from October until March.

“I had mixed feelings when we sent them away for the first time last winter because it is like sending my babies away,” said Ms Bulgin. “But it’s a really good opportunity for people to get to know more about donkeys.

“I’ve got five acres of fields and a stable which are fine for the summer but it gets really boggy in the winter so it is also good to give the fields a break.”

The 15 donkeys, which range in age from four to 19, are now winding down for the season, working just weekends. Ms Bulgin said some of the donkeys are ready for their breaks immediately and the rest will finish working after the October half term.