IN real-life they were among James Herriot's most engaging customers; endearing and infuriating in almost equal measures.

The well-to-do Mrs Pumphrey and her pet dog Tricky-Woo were among the public's favourite characters in the books and television shows that enchanted the world.

And now they look set to find more fans as they become permanent residents of the vet's old surgery in Kirkgate, Thirsk.

The building now houses the World of James Herriot centre, which is one of the leading attractions in the Hambleton district with its meticulous recreation of a time gone by.

York model-making company Kari has created life-sized replicas of Mrs Pumphrey, Tricky-Woo and a television cameraman to add to the existing attractions.

Mrs Pumphrey's character is widely believed to have been a combination of two local clients of the real James Herriot, vet Alf Wight.

But, for the model, she was based on a cast of Hambleton's museums officer Margi Tipton, while the authority's tourism manager, David Shields, provided the basis for the cameraman.

A museum spokesman said: "There is no doubt that Mrs Pumphrey and her Pekinese dog were among the stars of the Herriot stories.

"We will be placing the two of them in the waiting room, while the cameramen will be in the reconstructed TV studio."