A German court has ordered a hungry donkey's owners to pay damages to the driver of a carrot-coloured sports car after the animal tried to eat it.

Police said that Vitus the donkey may have mistaken the orange McLaren parked next to his enclosure as a giant carrot.

Image: McLarens cost upwards of £200,000

Vitus caused €5,800 (£5115) worth of damage when he bit the back, damaging the paint and a carbon-fibre piece.

The dpa news agency reported that the state court in Giessen sided with the car owner, who filed the suit after the donkey's owner refused to reimburse him after the incident last September.

Image: Vitus enjoys an actual carrot

At the time, local media reported the owner of the donkey refused to pay for the damage, telling the McLaren owner he should have picked a better parking place for his £200,000 car.