A VICAR, a friar and a farmer proved that God moo-ves in a mysterious way after praying to the Almighty for a cow pat.

Adlington villagers had turned up to a farm in Blackrod throughout Saturday to watch Sweetheart the cow's progress in producing a money winning cow pat.

The novel idea, dreamt up to raise funds for Adlington Parish Church's restoration appeal, involved a field being marked into squares and wherever a cow's first pat landed would win the person who had picked that square £50.

Freema Taylor, chairman of Adlington's parish church restoration appeal, tied a ribbon round the neck of Sweetheart, the chosen cow, and she was turned out into the field with the rest of her herd.

Freema was told that separating the cow from her pals could have resulted in emotional problems and so groups of people visited the field throughout the morning to keep a close eye on Sweetheart's rear end.

Hours passed and nature still hadn't taken its course so when vicar Father David Morgan, Franciscan friar Brother David Alban and farmer Brian Halton arrived at lunchtime they prayed for some divine intervention.

No sooner than their appeal went out than their prayers were answered, a flag was planted to mark the spot earning bank clerk Karen Pelman the £50 prize and a relieved Sweetheart could slip of the spotlight. "I think the cows thought we were stupid. They kept looking at us in a disdainful way," said Freema. People were so amused by the idea that all 2,875 field squares were sold, earning the church restoration appeal £575 and the event was so successful that Freema says they might be asking Sweetheart for a repeat performance!

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