A DALES community could have been forgiven for giving up on its annual sheep fair this year.

Restrictions on the movement of livestock are only being lifted now, with farmers spending months besieged by foot-and-mouth disease.

But the people of Masham, North Yorkshire, were determined their end-of-summer celebration would go ahead.

So, this weekend, pens will go up in the market place just the same - and cardboard cut-outs will take the place of the Swaledales, Blue-faced Leicesters and numerous other breeds which usually vie for the judges' attention during the last weekend of September.

Of course, the new competition allows for a little more imagination than usual; Mashamshires chatting on their mobiles, reclining rams and loutish lambs are all possibilities over the coming 48 hours.

But, this year, it won't be the experts who will be asked to pick the best specimens.

The winners will be decided by the public, who vote by leaving donations in the buckets in each pen.

The "sheep" which raises the most will scoop its owner a top prize of £500, donated by Masham brewer, Theakston's, and presented by Countdown's Richard Whiteley.

All the money will be invested in projects aimed at easing the impact of the foot-and-mouth crisis in the area.

"We heard the Great Yorkshire Show and the Royal Show were being cancelled this year and decided we were not going to let our event die," said show spokesman Bob Arnold.

"The sheep fair has always been popular with families and we're hoping to attract the same sort of crowd who enjoy a wonderful event at the end of the season."

Other events on the programme include virtual reality sheepdog trials, terrier racing displays of produce in St Mary's Church and Masham Town Hall, handbell ringing and displays by Morris dancers.

The Bishop Blaize procession starts at 1.45pm at Maple Creek on both Saturday and Sunday, while an It's a Knock-out competition between teams from local companies has also been arranged on the recreation ground on Sunday afternoon.