There's little or no chance of a white Christmas this year but a snowy lamb has arrived in time for the big day.

In what's been called a festive miracle by villagers, little Rudolph was born on Monday – a whole three months before the official start of lambing season.

The woolly bundle of joy bleated into life at the Dandelion Time centre at Charlton Lane, West Farleigh.

The charity houses a number of animals which help children with emotional and behavioural difficulties learn life skills.

Staff member Laura Irvine, 24, was alerted to the unseasonal discovery at about 3pm by a neighbour who found the lamb in a field lying next to her mother.

She said: "We thought her mum, Dotty, might be expecting but we never thought she'd give birth this early."

Named Rudolph because it was thought the lamb was male, mother and premature baby are both said to be doing well.

Liz Offen, 40, who runs nearby Lake Farm in Sutton Valence and gave the charity its first flock of sheep, said: "I've been farming all my life and I've known lambs to be born as late as September before but never this early.

"My 63-year-old dad's a farmer and he's never known it before and neither had his dad.

"It's a really happy event, though, and Rudolph's a proper little Christmas miracle."