A crowd of dog walkers were brought together on Hampstead Heath by their shared love for the same breed.

Nearly 20 owners of flat-coated retrievers took their pets for a muddy group stroll on Sunday.

They were greeted at Parliament Hill bandstand with mulled wine at 9.30am by organisers ­Nigel and Caroline Richardson.

Friend Suzy Stern, 57, a retired tour guide, was allowed to take her blue roan cocker spaniel ­Harry Stern as an “honorary flattie”.

She said: “It was literally just because there’s an abundance of flat-coat retrievers on the Heath and Nigel and Caroline decided it would be fun to get them all ­together to have a walk and a swim.

“There were a few scraps, but the dogs thought it was wonderful.

“They’re fabulous dogs, they’re very intelligent and very personable.”