A FLOCK of sheep went shopping at the weekend – to promote the benefits of wool.

They swapped their field in the countryside for a day out in the town, perusing the shelves at Barkers department store in Northallerton.

The four sheep spent a VIP day at the family-owned store as Barkers marked the national Campaign for Wool.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among consumers about the unique, natural and sustainable benefits offered by wool.

Organiser Dawn Ledger said: “We are part of a rural community and we wanted to celebrate that by organising some events for the Campaign For Wool.

“Wool is a brilliant natural fibre and we want to remind people of the area's role in producing it, and support local industry as a lot of our customers are farmers.

“Throughout the week we had different events, and thought it would be a great idea to have some live sheep in a pen and a spinning demonstration to show customers and children how wool is produced.

“Every Friday we have out Knit and Natter group in the store. It is very popular and a great way of making friends with other knitting enthusiasts.”

The sheep were loaned to the store for the day by the Big Sheep Little Cow attraction in Bedale.