Sara Ross with Duke, Europe's biggest horse

A beleagured horse refuge has been given The X Factor.

Sara Ross, owner of the Horse Refuge for abused and abandoned horses in Wittersham, visited music impressario Simon Cowell in his Kensington office during the reality show’s hotly-contested final after he called out of the blue to lend his support to her campaign to raise a daunting £600,000.

The Horse Refuge - which is home to Duke, Europe's largest horse - needs to raise the money by January or face eviction and the slaughter of many of its beloved animals as a result.

A host of celebrities have already lent support to save the refuge, including actors Jenny Seagrove and Martin Shaw and Heather-Louise McCartney, eldest daughter of Sir Paul.

Mr Cowell's call was a surprise, with Ms Ross still unsure how he found out about her plight.

Ms Ross said: "He was absolutely delightful - really lovely and warm. He wants to help and wanted to know more about the refuge. He said 'we’ve got to keep this going'. He feels that we are worth saving."

Ms Ross needs to buy the land to prevent the eviction after news that the landlord needed to sell up.

Ms Ross said: "We need people to pull together. If everyone gave us a tenner we would be there."

To donate, visit www.thehorserefuge.org