A Mexican donkey has been freed from jail after doing time for acting like a jackass.

Television reports show Blacky gobbling food from a bucket after spending three days in a jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances.

Blacky was jailed for biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas state.

His owner, Mauro Gutierrez said that the issue was solved after he paid the hospital bill for the two people injured.

"This issue has been already paid for and fixed, so I'm not longer involved in this," he said.

Officials freed the donkey after its owner paid a fine of £18 and the £58 hospital bill of the men, who suffered bites to the chest and a broken ankle.

Authorities say he also must pay £244 to each man to compensate for their days of work.

© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.