MALMESBURY vet Mike Sandiford is to feature for a fourth time in the BBC television series Vets in Practice.

Mr Sandiford, 30, a cattle vet at The George Veterinary Group, in Malmesbury High Street, will hit the nation's screens early in the New Year in the 11th series of the programme.

He was first featured on the programme in its first series in 1996, while he was studying towards a veterinary degree the University of Bristol.

He and classmates were featured, and viewers will recognise Trude Mostue, from Norway, and Steve Leonard, who are also in the latest series.

In 1997 he was prominently featured when working at a wildlife orphanage and ostrich farm in Botswana.

Then, earlier this year the television cameras visited him again, to see how he had progressed since moving to Malmesbury four years ago.

He said his appearance in the next series would be confined to one episode.

He will be featured talking to youngsters at St Mary's Pre-school, in Malmesbury.

"After the first series I was quite well known, and when I first came here I was jokingly known as the ostrich man," said Mr Sandiford, who is from Stratford-Upon-Avon.

"When I came back from Africa I couldn't believe all the fuss, I seemed to be everywhere, and was in the magazine TV Quick.

"When the programme came out this year I was in it a bit and I was recognised by some people but I don't think it's such big news now, when I was first filmed it was one of the first docu-soaps and was much more newsworthy."

Mr Sandiford said the show has followed his progress, but he thinks he has changed little since the first series.

"I don't think I've changed much between then and now but the more you do the job, the easier it gets, to an extent," he said.

He said he was filmed in June for the latest series doing his day-to-day job, in which he specialises in caring for cattle.

For the scenes at St Mary's Pre-school Mr Sandiford was joined by animals from Denise Barrett's animal sanctuary in Grittenham, near Malmesbury.

"We had a baby badger, tortoises, snakes, kittens and puppies," said Mr Sandiford.

"It was really a chance to get the children involved and I enjoyed it, it was a fun morning."

dvaller@newswilts.co.uk