It is about a third of the cost of straw and it seems to keep everybody happy

Phil Parrett

He said he was given the idea by environmental group, Resource Savers, in Bristol.

Mr Parrett, who has been nicknamed "eco-friendly Phil", said he could not buy straw or old newspapers to shred.

He was told by the environmental group that they were having difficulty getting rid of old Yellow Pages directories so he tried them out.

"They have been shredding ideally. The couple of ponies love them and I see them working as well when the cows come in.

"It is warmer and more absorbent than straw and practically dust-free. The only downside is that it blows around a bit."

'Everyone happy'

Yellow Pages are not turned into newsprint like other recycled paper because of the strong yellow dyes.

Straw has increased in price because much of it was bought by the government to build pyres during the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Mr Parrett thinks his idea can take off.

"It is about a third of the cost of straw and it seems to keep everybody happy as Yellow Pages are a problem to get rid of."

"We can take a fair bulk and hopefully we may start bailing them up and selling them."

He says horse owners will be particularly interested because it is nearly dust-free - many horses are allergic to dust.