President George W Bush might have the odd difficulty with English syntax but, it appears, he is a dab hand at jigsaw puzzles.

Puzzles are strewn about the Bush family's homes and many family members have become devotees of Howard Robinson, a British painter of animal scenes for puzzle makers (see pic).

Now Mr Robinson has received the ultimate accolade - a commission from the White House. He was asked by the President's wife Laura Bush to paint a picture of the family's dogs - Miss Beazley and Barney - for a puzzle which was presented to Mr Bush on his 60th birthday.