Tony the last of the Northumberland pit ponies has died at the age of 40 marking the end of an era of mining history.

He, and three other ponies Sparky, Carl and Pike were brought out of Ellington Pit, near Ashington, in 1994 when the pit closed.

Sparky and Carl were sent to the National Coal Mining Museum for England, in Wakefield, West Yorkshire where Carl died in 2006 and Sparky in 2007.

Pike and Tony went to the animal shelter at Benton, where Pike died in 2005.

Find out more about the work of the Benton Animal Shelter