ANIMAL lover Janice Copps has won a stay of execution for her pets.

Janice, 45, had been ordered to remove two ponies, four goats, seven ducks and 13 chickens she keeps in the backyard of her four-bedroom terraced house in Payne Avenue, Hove. Council environmental health officers issued an enforcement notice on February 17 after complaints about the smell from the animals on a 150ft by 10ft concrete strip. The pets were to have left the backyard by today, but Mrs Copps lodged an appeal against the notice saying they were well looked after and that the only smell was of fresh hay. Now the council has told her she can keep her pets at home until her appeal is heard. ABrighton and Hove Council spokeswoman said: "Given that she has lodged an appeal and attempted to manage the smell problem, we will not enforce the notice unless the situation deteriorates." However, the council will still contest the appeal, likely to be heard by magistrates sometime over the next few weeks. If at appeal the notice is upheld the council says it will enforce it, forcing Janice to find new homes for her pets.

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