Sheep beat red tape for Nativity parade

The bleating of a quartet of rare-breed sheep will echo around a medieval cathedral after a struggle with bureaucracy to get them there.

Chris Steele, a farmer, is bringing four of his flock of white-faced woodland sheep to Norwich for a family procession around its city centre church.

But concerns about foot-and-mouth disease coupled with a mound of red tape proved difficult obstacles.

First there was the animal movement licence, completed in quadruplicate, with one copy sent to trading standards and another to the cathedral, required to be able to bring the sheep from Church Farm in Banham, Norfolk.

Then came the performing animal licence, obtained through the state veterinary service.

Finally another animal movement licence was required to bring the animals back from Norwich to Banham. Jill Napier, a community learning officer at the cathedral, said: "I feel maybe it is bureaucracy gone mad, but I suppose in the light of foot-and-mouth and things in the past people have to be careful."