BUSY counting sheep, a sleepless Gorse Hill vicar hit upon a late-night plan to bring Christmas smiles to the faces of children.

Reverend Barbara Sheppard, curate at All Saints church, off Ferndale Road, and her flock are knitting 600 sheep to give to children in her parish.

The cuddly toys - some of them no bigger than an egg - will be given to pupils at Ferndale Community Primary School and Poppies Nursery ahead of the church’s Crib service a week before Christmas.

Barbara, 69, who was ordained last year, said: “We’ve knitted lambs for the younger ones and sheep for the older ones.”

The idea for the sheep came to Barbara in the first week of January, while she was on holiday on the Dorset coast.

“I went online and found a pattern,” she said. “The first sheep didn’t turn out well. It looks like a monster from the lagoon.

“It was a mad idea of mine. When I mentioned it to people it just took off. It’s brought a lot of people together and we’ve had great fun doing it.

“My study has been taken over by sheep. I’ve forgotten the colour of my study’s walls.”

All of the sheep have been knitted by members of the congregation at All Saints. Other cuddly sheep have been donated to the cause - but Barbara says these have been sold to help raise money for the church's Christmas charity appeal.

The plan is for local schoolchildren to bring the sheep to All Saints’ Crib service on Sunday, December 17.

Barbara, who says she has been worshipping at All Saints since she was three days old, hopes that the children will take the cuddly sheep home and display them in their windows.