It has emerged that British women are following in the footsteps of celebs like Paris Hilton by treating ferrets like their latest fashion accessory.

Thousands of fans are ditching their designer dogs for the super-cute, furry creatures.

Which were most popular with working-class northerners who used them to hunt for rabbits.

But celebrity owners such as Hilton, 29, Madonna, 51, and Jonathan Ross's wife Jane Goldman, 39, have led.

A boom in sales to girls following the craze of their favourite stars. According to a study by the Ferret Education and Research Trust, only 7% of ferret owners are from Yorkshire.

Once the heartland of ownership. There are more owners in the south than the north, and 61% of buyers are women, mainly aged between 35 and 44.

The study found that most ferret lovers keep two of the pets, but one enthusiast kept a whopping 160.

"Ferrets have had bad press over the years, but they are clean, intelligent and attractive.

A ferret is an excellent companion as they adapt to different lifestyles," the Daily Star quoted Ian Kearns, from the research trust, as saying. Kearns said they also sleep up to 20 hours a day and can go long periods between feeding, making them more attractive than cats or dogs to busy professionals.