PET owners walking their pooches through Heartwood Forest in Sandridge on Monday may have been surprised to see a canine star in their midst.

Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey were in the limelight again as they visited St Albans to launch Highland Spring’s new charity partnership with the Woodland Trust.

Doting Ashleigh, whose performances with dog Pudsey have wowed audiences throughout the UK and America, where they appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, said the campaign was a great idea for encouraging people to have “adventures” in the forest.

The famous duo were joined by Woodland Trust “nature detectives” Ellen Sandford-Percival and Dylan Stevenson, both aged six.

The partnership between the company and the trust aims to boost the charity’s ambitious goal of doubling the UK’s native woodland cover by 2050. At a time when children spend much of their spare time watching TV, the campaign also encourages people to head to their local woodland and enjoy family walks with pets.

Ashleigh said: “Pudsey loves coming to the woods to play games in the autumn leaves and have a good run around. It’s doggy paradise for Pudsey.”