Mortimer and Whitehouse visit Lancashire's The Milking Parlour but footage is cut for a heartbreaking reason

A popular Lancashire attraction was delighted to receive a visit from TV stars Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse... but were left disappointed when the footage was left on the cutting room floor.

The comedy duo visited The Milking Parlour in Sabden nine months ago during filming of the ninth series of Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing.

Bob and Paul picked up some of the parlour’s raw milk and milkshakes before heading off to catch barbels on the River Wyre.

However, when the episode was broadcast last night (Sunday), there was no sign of their visit. The footage had been cut by producers for a heartbreaking reason.

The episode was the final appearance of Ted, the Patterdale terrier who has accompanied Bob and Paul on their fishing adventures since series three, and programme makers decided to include more footage than normal of their canine pal as a tribute.

A spokesman for the Milking Parlour explained: “We had such a fantastic morning, the whole film crew were absolutely brilliant too.

“Now for the sad news… Last week, we received an email to say that our footage hadn’t made the final cut.

“We’re absolutely gutted, as you can imagine, as we’ve been chomping at the bit to share these happy memories with you all. But because this is Ted’s last ever appearance the episode is being dedicated to him, giving him as much airtime as possible, as a final tribute. And honestly we can’t blame them…how cute is Ted?”

Ted died at the age of 13 in April

The show first began as a way for Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse to get over treatment for their nearly-fatal heart problems: a triple bypass and three stents, respectively.

But after many years of simply trying to get their ‘catch of the day’, ‘Gone Fishing’ has become a BAFTA-winning cult classic as the pair take in the British countryside and all it has to offer - along with producer Lisa Clark’s dog, Ted.

“We used to see Ted when we went fishing, so it was always a nice, glorious reunion with Ted,” Whitehouse said in a BBC interview. “The great thing about Ted, really, is he didn't give a monkey's about us. I think that's what we really loved about him.

“He'd go off, and he'd rummage around and root around. You thought, really, it could have been dangerous, but people didn't mess with Ted. The animal kingdom did not mess with Ted.”

“He was the perfect dog in that sense,” Mortimer said. “He never caused us a problem. He’d give us a bit of lip.

“But we'll miss Ted, and we will continue in his honour, as it were, continue to fish.”

The first episode took the pair to Ribchester, near Sunderland Point and Dinckley.

The pair said they were particularly excited for the upcoming series - but that visiting the Ribble had been a “highlight” while filming.

“Fishing-wise I liked being up in the North of England,” Mortimer said. “We've seen a lot more birds this series. I don't know whether there's more birds in the UK, but oystercatchers, and winkle-warblers, and cormorants, and eagles...

“Whenever we're asked about the series, like what's new and so on, to be honest with you, we quite doggedly keep it the same, is the truth of it.

“At its heart, the countryside continues to look beautiful. The rivers still look beautiful.”

“That's one of my favourite shows, when we visit The Ribble,” Whitehouse said. “And, we actually catch quite a lot of fish as well - maybe Ted brought us luck.

“I'm really pleasantly surprised by some of the stuff we've done in this latest series. It's lovely. Really beautiful.

“We love it. And we've got a great crew, and most of them have been with us from the start. It's just a very positive and life-affirming experience.

“It's a celebration of the rivers, and lakes, and the British countryside. And your grub on the riverbank - or [Mortimer], grubby on the riverbank!”

The show is available on BBC iPlayer.