THERE were more leggy lovelies than at an Oscars bash, and wearing a collar was a must.

But sex kittens were banned from Kevin Horkin's star-studded awards night.

Kevin, who has been responsible for providing animals for dozens of television programmes including Coronation Street, Emmerdale and This Morning with Richard and Judy, has launched his own version of the Golden Globes for dogs.

And a host of two-legged celebrities were on hand to give the winners a pat on the back.

Kevin, whose Spex opticians business is based in Church Street, Accrington, was the brains behind the first ever Golden Bone Ball, which is set to become an annual event and included the presentation of the Golden Bone Awards to dogs who have done the canine fraternity proud!

He said: "Initially, it started out as a way to raise money for the charity I started, called Pet Role Trust, which helps animals in distress and raises awareness of responsible pet ownership throughout the country.

"From there, it really snowballed. I contacted people I knew in television and the showbiz industry and they were all very keen to help.

"Dogs tend to get a very poor profile in the media as a whole. They are often unfairly blamed for problems and the odd bad dog manages to tarnish the seven million good dogs in this country.

"I wanted to promote the good things dogs do."

The event was held at Manchester Airport's Radisson SAS Airport and contained a wide mix of categories, with nominations received through a dog magazine.

One of the most poignant awards was the Working Dog of the Year gong, for which a variety of hounds were nominated, including search and rescue dogs, guide dogs, and hearing dogs.

Kevin added: "The achievements of these dogs stunned everyone. Frodo, for example, opens doors, helps with laundry, helps get goods off shop shelves and can even help use a cash point. His owner is wheelchair bound and she really couldn't be as independent without him." Other awards included pet dog of the year, show dog of the year, canine personality of the year as well as awards for the year's best judge, breeder, writer and campaigner.

Several celebrities were also honoured including Rolf Harris for his work on Animal Hospital, while Pam St Clement, aka Pat Butcher from EastEnders, picked up the Golden Bone for TV Personality of the Year.

Stars like William Roache, Tracy Shaw and Denise Welch from Coronation Street all attended.

Kevin added: "It is an event we plan to repeat because we believe the stories told about some of these dogs illustrate the vital role they play in many people's lives."