A SHEEP who has become a loving pet to a farming family in Tong had a Valentine's Day to remember when she gave birth to twins lambs - the first of the lambing season.

The fact that Honey the sheep gave birth at all proved to be a remarkable story of love after she miraculously recovered from a bout of meningitis as young lamb.

Honey, who is two now, was nursed back to health by the care of two young children, Lydia Hare, 9, and Sam Hare, 5, who never gave up on the half Mule half Texel sheep.

Their proud mum, Sally Hare, of Low Moor, described how she and her two children visit her dad's farm, Lane End Farm at Tong, every day to look after Honey, who "started following them around like a dog" after recovering from the deadly disease.

"We really thought we were going to lose her," said Sally, who said Honey appeared to be healthy when she was born," said Sally.

"But then after a few weeks, she couldn't walk or stand up so we took her to the vet.

"She was diagnosed with meningitis and the vet wasn't optimistic that she was going to make it.

"We thought we're going to have to be cruel to be kind because she wouldn't have a life.

"But the vet told my children 'the more TLC (tender loving care) she gets, the more chance of survival she will have.

She was given some anti-inflammatory and steroid medication, and that coupled with a dose of loving care from the Hare family helped Honey on the road to recovery.

"My children took his advice to heart and acted on what he said. One time when I was looking for Lydia on the farm, I found her cuddled up with Honey."

As Honey slowly recovered, she started to walk and although she was a bit wobbly her strength started to return.

But what happen along the way was that her bond with the Hare family become stronger and stronger - a story fitting for Valentine's Day.

"She was like a miracle," said Sally. "She's become our family pet. She follows us around like a dog."

Although the saying goes 'You can't teach an old dog new tricks', but in the case of the Hare family they found that you can a young lamb new tricks.

"My daughter Lydia taught he jump up simply by the snap of her fingers. We should put her in training for Britain's Got Talent."

Tricks are not the only part of Honey's character traits.

Sally says Honey really loves to ride around the farm on the family's farm buggy.

"We also have a pygmy goats enclosure and she' likes to climb up to the top and have a lie down.

"She's just not a normal sheep," said Sally. "But she's a part of our family. She doesn't think she's a sheep.

"My dad's been lambing for 45 years and he's never seen a sheep quite like her."

But as remarkable and miraculous as Honey's story is, one of her true gifts is her ability to be a fantastic mother.

Honey gave birth two baby lambs on Valentine's Day.

"She's taken to motherhood very well," said Sally. "We haven't had to help at all.

"Honey's cleaned them up and has needed any interference from us. That's not always the case for ewes with newborn lambs. You have got to check on them all the time."

Sally also said that it was fitting that out of over 30 ewes that Honey gave birth to her twin lambs before all the others.

"It's really magical that she was the first."