Gertie the gundog has been hailed a hero after shooting to the sea rescue of a pensioner's false leg.

The lady was on Freshwater East beach when one of her prosthetic limbs she had taken off was washed out of reach by a rogue wave.

Her distressed husband appealed to 18-month-old Gertie's owner, John Dooner, for help and he sent his pet bounding into the briny to save the leg.

"Gertie is a wire-haired German pointer and a trained gundog, so she just loves retrieving things," artist John, aged 71, who lives nearby in Hodgeston, told the Western Telegraph.

"I could see the limb floating beyond the surf, so I threw a stone into the water and Gertie was away.

"She dived through the waves and of course, the only thing she could see was the leg, so she grabbed it.

"She brought it triumphantly ashore, very proud and happy.

"It got a bit sandy as she dragged it up the beach, but I dusted it off and handed it back to the gentleman.

"The couple were very grateful and I must say, I was quite relieved, as otherwise I would have had to go in the sea myself!"

The elderly lady, who had a German accent, told John that she had been stationed at Castlemartin camp many years ago, which was where she had met her English husband.

John, who operated the horse and carriage ride in Tenby before his retirement seven years ago, is an artist specialising in animal portraits.

"I've painted a special portrait of Gertie as a reward for her efforts," he said.

Gertie's heroic rescue - which took place nearly a fortnight ago - had its first mention as a Facebook post by John's wife Viv, who is practice manager at Tenby Vets.

"Since then, the story has gone viral, which is quite amusing," said John. "Not all the reports have been entirely accurate - particularly the ones which mentioned cheering crowds on the beach. It was a lovely day, but there were only about three people there!"