A farmer has started a business which enables animal lovers to give their dearly departed pets a dignified send-off.

Robbie Dick runs a pet cremation enterprise from Ayrshire Farm in Ripe, near Lewes.

Bereaved owners can take their animals to the farm in the beautiful Sussex countryside and remain on site while their pets are cremated.

Music can also be played and animals ranging in size from lizards to ponies can be catered for.

Mr Dick and his three animal-loving business partners will act as funeral directors to those owners who cannot reach his crematorium, Ayrshire Farm Pet Cremation Services. They will drive to any home or vet surgery to collect pets and return the ashes in a choice of urn or casket.

Mr Dick, 41, whose farm was mainly beef and sheep farming before he diversified into ostrich and alpaca, said: "I have 12 dogs of my own and I like to think that if my dog died, it would be going somewhere I liked and a place where I could see where it was being cremated if I really wanted to."

Mr Dick has installed a cremation chamber and an office on the farm so bereaved families can pay their last respects.

Owners can also choose an array of caskets and urns for the safekeeping of ashes. Some are biodegradable, while others are more ornate.

Mr Dick has set up a web site offering information about the service and the caskets available, as well as giving potential customers a chance to get their questions answered.

He promises all pets are cremated individually.

He said: "There are vets who will have your pets cremated should they die but with this service, owners can come here directly."

The company has a licence issued by Defra and Mr Dick carried out his first cremation this week.

A vet in the Lewes area has asked Mr Dick to carry out funeral services for his bereaved customers and Mr Dick and his partners are expecting others to follow suit.

The company will offer a service for any pet, from exotic lizards or prized Koi Carp to small ponies, although cats, dogs and rabbits are expected to be its main business.

Tracey Stewart, a director and partner of the service, said they decided to set up when she found herself brooding over what would happen to her cat Fudge if it died. Although her prized pet is back in full health, it had been suffering from cancer.

She said: "I went into a panic worrying what would happen if she died. I looked into similar services but wasn't really impressed with what was on offer. One of my main questions was 'how would I know if I would be getting her ashes back?'

"It's not nice to make a profit from people who are bereaved, so we are offering a personal service and offering to do it with care."

Miss Stewart said prices for cremations started at about £49.56 plus VAT for an animal the size of a rabbit. That would include the cremation and the ashes being held in a biodegradable box. For larger pets and more ornate urns or caskets, the price increases.

The company's web site can be found at www.sussexpetcremations.co.uk Anyone who may want to use the service should call 01323 811152.