When producers of the recent Pride and Prejudice blockbuster were looking for animal extras they knew exactly who to call. Farmer Pam Weaver, from Morton Valence near Whitminster, has been supplying farmyard animals for hit films and television programmes for 15 years. She spoke to reporter James Davis about how it all began, her role on set and what it's like working with superstars.

FEW can boast to have rubbed shoulders with the likes of Keira Knightly, Judi Dench and Sean Connery, but for Pam Weaver this is just a normal working day.

Her lucky break came in 1990 when a producer working on Robin Hood Prince of Thieves turned up at the Cheshire Show looking for horned cattle for the film.

Pam's livestock caught his eye and she has been working on screen productions ever since.

"I was in the right place at the right time," said Pam, 62. "After I did that film I never thought I would do another but along came First Knight with Richard Gere and Sean Connery and then it just snowballed."

Pam has since supplied animals for blockbusting films such as Fifth Element, Chocolat and King Arthur as well as for period dramas and a host of TV programmes including the popular drama Teachers.

With a well-established reputation, Pam's company Nearly Human Animals is the first port of call for many producers. "They ring me up and pick my brains and I see what I can supply," she said.

"Anyone who has worked with me and needs animals usually comes back.

"I provide people friendly animals - the secret is to give them lots of human contact."

As well as using livestock from her own farm, Pam often has to hunt about for specialist breeds.

"When it's a film far from here I go and find local people with animals I need. I then become a coordinator and look after them all," she said.

Pam often appears on screen herself but she admits this is usually purely down to chance.

"We always get dressed up to tend to the animals. If the cameras are rolling however we turn our backs so as not to stand out," she said.

Over the years, Pam has worked with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

"While doing Robin Hood I had to ask Kevin Costner who he was at first which he thought was hilarious," she said.

"After that we were the best of mates. He used to hide in my caravan to take a quiet five minutes."

Astonishingly, in 15 years Pam has never seen a celebrity spat, feud or tantrum.

She said: "The stars are just ordinary people who get on with their job and mix in."

In fact, while filming Pride and Prejudice the whole cast and crew including Keira Knightly, Donald Sutherland and Matthew MacFayden dropped everything to help find lurcher Buzz, who had run off and was needed for a scene.

"It was not good because these films cost a lot of money so you can't afford to waste time but it took a good 30 minutes to find him," she said. Although working hours are often extremely long, Pam has loved every minute of her niche career.

"I only wish it had come along earlier," she said.