A SOUTH Derbyshire football mascot has been lapping up the applause at the country's premier dog show.

Gresley Rovers’ football team mascot Elvis Gresley took to the stage Thursday and Friday at Crufts. The hound dog mascot was paraded around the show arena as part of the ‘Safe and Sound Scheme’ demonstration on the first day at the world’s biggest dog show at the NEC.

Elvis made so much of an impression with both exhibitors and members of the general public that the organisers then asked the Unibond League Club’s mascot back for an extra day to take part in a special ‘Comic Relief’ event which saw Elvis go head-to-head in an obstacle race against Britain’s Kennel Club mascot, Casey.

The mascot was only signed to Gresley Rovers this season as a replacement for Gresley Bear and appears at all of the team’s home games.

The Gresley Rovers mascot was asked to join the Kennel Club in October becoming a registered member of their Companion Dog Club, which promotes good dog ownership.

Elvis has done a lot of work for Charity – focusing on dog charities including work for the RSPCA.