CALDICOT butcher Allan Rae reckons the best place for horse-lovers is next door – at the bookies.

His has put a colourful sign in the window of his town centre shop declaring he sells only 100 per cent beef, lamb, pork and chicken and suggesting: "If you want horse, go next door."

Next door is the local branch of Coral's the bookmakers.

Mr Rae, who has owned the shop for seven years, said: "It's created quite a bit of interest and a lot of people have stopped and taken photos of it.

"It's on the internet too."

Ironically, the horsemeat scandal has been good for the independent butcher.

He said: "Business is better than at any time since the recession hit.

"We're getting a lot more people in and particularly young people who didn't come in before.

"It's a question of trust and people are telling us that they do not trust the supermarkets any more.

"I'd say business has increased by about 20 per cent since the horsemeat scandal became known.

"Our suppliers are as local as we can get. Our pork and lamb comes from Raglan, our chickens come from Usk and the beef is either Welsh Black or Scottish.

"People want to know that their meat hasn't come from Romania or gone around Europe."