Faversham Recreation Ground is a popular spot for dog walkers, but a more unusual sight has been turning heads.

Twenty-three-year-old Jake Shepherd has been taking his pet lizard Rex for a walk in the park to enjoy the sunshine.

Jake, who puts a rabbit harness on his pet to take him for a walk, said: "He likes going for walks, but he does get a lot of attention.

"The other week it took me an hour to walk into town with him because about 40 people stopped to take photos.

"When we go over to the rec, I take him off his lead and he walks about with me or we sunbathe together. I take a little bag to pick up his poo just like you would with a dog.

"He's as friendly as anything and he doesn't mind being stroked. Sometimes if he's having a soft day he'll sit on your lap for an hour.

"You have to feed them three times a day and they all have their own personalities; it's like having a kid."

Rex is a nine-year-old red tegu and Jake is, reluctantly, trying to sell him.

He added: "I've started a new job, working in the warehouse for Shepherd Neame, and I work 12 hours a day so I don't have enough spare time to look after him. I don't really want to get rid of him but I'm trying to do what’s best for Rex."

Rex wanders around the house when his owner is in to keep an eye on him, enjoys warm boiled eggs for breakfast and eats red grapes, tomatoes, mice and mealworms during the rest of the day.

Jake, who would like to breed reptiles for a living one day, bought Rex five years ago and sold him once before when he realised work was getting in the way of caring for him - but he took him back when the new owners no longer wanted him.

He will only sell him to an experienced reptile keeper who has enough time to care for Rex and space for his 6ft-long tank.

Jack has kept reptiles since the age of 12 and was inspired to get his first one after meeting his childhood hero, wrestler Jake the Snake, and his trademark 12ft Burmese python at an event in Ashford.