THE winners of this year’s Courier Pet Idol competition were “delighted” to have scooped the £300 prize.

This year’s winner was French bulldog Ollie, who came out on top after weeks of voting that saw 200 pets initially enter the competition and thousands of votes cast.

And the two-year-old’s owners Julie and Stan Connachan were pleased to have come out on top.

Julie, of Prestonpans’ Drummore Drive, told the Courier: “It was quite a surprise but we’re really pleased.”

And Julie, who works for a property management firm in Edinburgh, revealed friends and family had helped Ollie’s winning effort.

She added: “I was coming home to envelopes [of voting slips] through the door from people.

“I didn’t count them, I just posted them so it is quite a shock to have won.”

It was a case of beginners’ luck for Ollie and his owners, with the pooch claiming the title at the first time of asking.

Julie added: “We didn’t enter him last year – I think we were away on holiday and by the time we got home it was too late, but this year we thought ‘why not?’ and we put him in.”

She also revealed that husband Stan was “really pleased” with the news, revealed in last week’s Courier, while children Hayley, 25; Kyle, 23, and 21-year-old Aaron were all similarly delighted.

Julie says she hasn’t thought about what she will do with the money.