THE Bishop of Wakefield tended his flock on Tuesday when he gave the country’s first-ever fleecing service in Cawthorne.

More than 100 people gathered to watch The Rt Rev Stephen Platten bless a pair of shears, which were then used to shear three sheep in a specially erected pen outside All Saints’ Church.

Children from Cawthorne Primary School carried the fleeces into the church and presented them to the bishop.

He addressed the congregation outside the church before moving inside for the service.

He said: “Don’t misunderstand this, but I’ve always been a great lover of sheep.

“I’ve already had a go with the shears this morning and I didn’t manage to take the sheep’s leg off, so we’re doing well so far.”

The Bishop said Cawthorne was chosen for the ceremony because of its sheep-rearing history and the traditional links between the church and the farming community.

Worshippers filled the church as the bishop read a sermon detailing the history of Yorkshire’s wool industry and the symbolic importance of sheep in the Bible.

He came up with the idea for the service after attending a similar event at a farm in Australia. The bishop said Tuesday’s service may be the first time in the world that the ceremony has been performed at a church.

He added: “Throughout history, wool and sheep have been essential to the life of this country.

“It’s a way of thanking God for the natural things of life, because in my view there’s nothing better than proper wool instead of man made fibres.”