Knitted Christmas angels hidden in Sturminster Newton

The woolly angels have been left dotted around the town for people to find and keep

Hundreds of knitted angels are waiting to be found in a town for Christmas.

The 300 tiny angels have been hidden in random places in Sturminster Newton, Dorset, by members of St Mary's Church.

Each angel has a tag attached asking the finder to take it home, look after it and give it a name.

Reverend Philippa Sargent said knitting more than 100 of the angels during lockdown was "quite poignant as there were a lot of angels among us at the time, in all sorts of different ways."

The angels have been left in hedges, plant pots, and shop doors around the town.

She added: "All those people working in the NHS and in our communities who really stepped up to help out people who were struggling - they are all angels too - it was timely at the time and it still is this Christmas."

Church warden Maggie Damerell, who came up with the idea, said the angels were "very small, very individual and have different personalities - some are traditional angelic figures, and others look a bit more psychedelic."

It is hoped people will take their angels to the church's Christingle service on Christmas Eve.

Some have been left in rather unusual places for people to find