Andy Burnham explains why rescue dog Axel won’t be joining him at No 10

Andy Burnham has confirmed his pet dog, Axel, will not be relocating to Downing Street, citing concerns that the canine "wouldn’t get on with Larry," the famous resident cat of No 10.

The Prime Minister’s bichon frise-poodle cross will instead remain in the north of England, Mr Burnham revealed during his first major broadcast interview with the BBC.

He was asked whether his family pet would join Larry, the renowned "chief mouser" to the Cabinet Office, who has become famous the world over.

Responding to the query, the Prime Minister affectionately referred to his own dog as "Famous Axel."

Mr Burnham added: “I think he’s going to have to stay up north I think, because he’s kind of got that angry little man thing going on. He’s got a bit of poodle in him.

“He’s a bich-poo, I think they call it – or a poochon – whatever the phrase is. And, yeah, he wouldn’t get on with Larry, let me put it that way, and I don’t think the nation would thank me, would they, if I brought Axel down to disturb Larry’s world?

“So I think he’s staying up here.”

Axel the Bichon-Poo spent just 12 days at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury before he was adopted by Andy Burnham and his wife around 10 years ago.

Elsewhere during the interview, Mr Burnham was also asked what his mother had told him as she greeted him in Downing Street after he was made Prime Minister.

He told the BBC: “Oh, goodness, I could tell you so much there, but I won’t tell you all of it.

“But I’m very close to my mum, you know, I think you know that, and my dad too.

“My dad sadly has Alzheimer’s so couldn’t be there, so we just exchanged a few words about my dad and how proud he would be.

“Yeah, that’s a little hard, but then again I’ve said it’s their achievement, it is both of their achievement, it’s my brother’s achievement, it’s community, people who know me have all contributed.

“So, you know, the emotion of that moment was, well, bittersweet if you know what I mean, it was painful in one way, but beautiful in another.”