A town crier exercised his right to drive sheep through a town for free, but had to make do with a model version.

Chris Brown has been the Town Mayor’s Serjant and Crier of Wimborne Minster in Dorset since 1998.

In 2018 he was made an honorary freeman of the town, only the fourth person to be given the title, which comes with the right to drive sheep through its streets without charge.

On Wednesday he exercised that right – albeit in modified form – as he drove sheep through the 1950s replicas of Wimborne Model Town.

As he did so, he announced: “I commend to you Wimborne Model Town and its volunteers, who deserve your praise and celebration.

“God save the Queen.”

The event marked the upcoming reopening of the model town, which will be available for public visits once lockdown restrictions are eased on April 12.

As well as being town crier, Mr Brown also hosts a local radio show called Skanking Delights under the name DJ Dapper Dan.