THE National Theatre’s equine puppet Joey got put through his paces on a tricky surface yesterday - the cobblestones of Radcliffe Square in Oxford.

Joey, the star of War Horse, an adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s story, was visiting the city in advance of a national tour of the production, which will visiting the New Theatre from December 13 to January 6.

Mr Morpurgo’s story about a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War, is the most successful play in the National Theatre’s history.

The drama features ground-breaking puppetry work and one of the puppeteers, Derek Arnold, 35, said passers-by enjoyed Joey’s walkabout near the Bodleian.

He added: “We had a great response from people walking past.

“People get swept away by the story of War Horse and love seeing Joey move on stage.”