Oxford couple tuck into 'deranged' cake replica of pet dog

Anna Railton said it was difficult to cut the cake

A couple was left howling after they received a cake replica of their beloved pet dog that was "too realistic" to eat.

Anna Railton and Chris Smowton, from Oxfordshire, ordered the edible version of their whippet Arthur as a joint birthday treat.

But when the life-sized delicacy arrived, the pair described it as "uncanny".

The icing-clad pooch was plated up to guests at their birthday party.

Arthur the whippet was unbothered by the cake

The lifelike dessert was handcrafted by designers at The Cake Shop in the Oxford Covered Market.

Ms Railton, a councillor for Oxford City Council, branded it "deranged".

She said: "They're too good in the Covered Market, too realistic.

"I do love a weird cake and I've ordered from them before - but I think maybe I went a little far this time."

The birthday treat was made by The Cake Shop in the Oxford Covered Market

The cake was exactly the same size as Arthur, their eight-year-old grey and white whippet, who did not seem fazed by its arrival.

"I don't think Arthur registered it, thank goodness," she said.

The couple, whose birthdays are two days apart, threw a party where they were forced serve the cake to their shocked guests.

"The worst bit was the cake-cutting," Ms Railton said, adding: "I was just thinking 'what have I done?'"

The Cake Shop said it was "thrilled" to be a part of the couple's celebrations.

Having traded in Oxford for more than 35 years, it added its cake designers could recreate anything in cake with "meticulous detail".

Partygoers tucked into the cake, despite its similarity to the couple's much-loved hound

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240.