It is an unusual romance, to say the least. He is made of flesh, blood and shell while she is constructed entirely out of plastic.

But after years of heartache, Timmy the tortoise seems to have found some sort of comfort by teaming up with Tanya the plastic toy tortoise.

Timmy, a Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermanni), appears to dote on Tanya night and day since the pair were brought together by keepers at the sanctuary where he lives after he was "bullied" by other real tortoises.

The sprightly 60-year-old fetches her food (and does not seem to mind that she does not eat it) and nuzzles his head against hers. He will not go to bed unless she is put into his hut before him.

Timmy arrived at the Tortoise Garden sanctuary in St Austell, Cornwall, three years ago when his owners emigrated to New Zealand. Staff tried to introduce him to other tortoises but he did not get on with them.

The sanctuary's owner, Joy Bloor, said: "I tried introducing him to other tortoises but they don't seem to like him and bully and fight with him. I put the plastic toy in his pen with him and now they are inseparable.

"He nuzzles and kisses her, moves her around and pushes lettuce towards her. He plays with her every day. If I want him to go into his hut at night time I have to put Tanya in there first, otherwise he won't go."

The lack of response does not seem to bother Timmy. "Tanya's only a third of the size of him but he doesn't seem to mind," Bloor said. "He's much happier when it's just the two of them."

Over the years the sanctuary has looked after thousands of unwanted, abandoned, injured and illegally imported tortoises. Set up by Bloor and husband, Geoff, 20 years ago, it currently cares for 450 tortoises from 15 species in 60 pens.