Meet the Big Issue seller getting back on his feet after his beloved dog died

• Watch Katie Rowlett's report

A popular Big Issue seller from Bath whose pet dog died last year has welcomed a new companion to his pitch.

Ian Duff has been selling the Big Issue on Union Street for the past 14 years alongside his 16-year-old companion, Boycie, who died on Christmas Day.

Speaking of his heartbreak at losing his pet, Ian said: "I was devastated. I knew it was coming as he was 16, but on the day I was overwrought and it destroyed me.

"It's like having a child and losing a child at an early age", he added.

Boycie was famous in the city, especially around Christmas time, and for many - he was the reason they came to buy the magazine from Ian's pitch.

One of Ian's customers said: "When we came to Bath we always looked for Boycie.

"Ian always had a smile on his face and the people that walked by were always attracted to Boycie."

Now the 55-year-old seller has welcomed a new dog, Trigger, who, like his predecessor, is named in tribute to a character from Only Fools and Horses.

"I went through a stage of mourning from Boycie", Ian said.

"I was going home just sitting on the couch, I wasn't eating very well - I was neglecting to do anything at all."

However Ian says Trigger has helped him through the dark times after he lost his much-loved companion.

"When I got Trigger it just sparked something in me and it got me up and about again", he said.

"It gives me a new lease of life. I was getting to the state where I was just going home, sitting down and watching TV but now I have to go out all the time.

"Obviously because I need to take him out, he needs a lot of exercise. It gives me purpose", he added.