Blue Peter former editor has revealed how millions of young viewers were taken in by a stand-in pet dog - for 15 years

Biddy Baxter tells how Blue Peter's first dog, Petra, was actually a lookalike replacement after the original dog died two days after its first, and only, appearance. The replacement then spent the next 15 years on Blue Peter, becoming known to millions of children, and no-one ever spotted the difference.

Baxter, who oversaw the programme from 1962 to 1988, discloses the secrets of Blue Peter's first pet in a new book. The original eight-week-old black and brown mongrel puppy was unveiled to viewers on the last episode before Christmas 1962. Baxter said: "It was the dog's first and last TV appearance. Two days later she died of distemper."

Blue Peter bosses were thrown into a quandary and faced an agonising choice - either upset millions of children or find a lookalike. She added: "It was unthinkable to traumatise our youngest viewers by giving them the sad news, so the producer Edward Barnes and I set off in his Mini to trawl London for the dead pup's lookalike.

"It wasn't until we reached Lewisham that we struck lucky. In a dingy shop window there was one small brownie-black puppy, shivering in the corner of a pen. Not a single viewer spotted the swap." The replacement dog, which they named Petra, was a hit with viewers and appeared on Blue Peter until 1977. She had several puppies, including Patch who also became a Blue Peter pet.

Of course they named the replacement Petra... it'd be a bit of a giveaway if they named it Queenie!

They managed to muddle through until the replacement showed up.

The original was here