A rescue donkey, dogs, cats and rabbits were among the animals blessed at a special annual church service.

Every year, on the Sunday closest to the Feast of Francis of Assisi, animals are welcomed into St John Vianney Church, in Charlton Road, Wantage.

Donkey Polyanne led a procession into the church followed by about 80 people from Oxford, Wantage, Didcot and Stow-on-the-Wold, along with their animals, including chickens, guinea pigs and gerbils.

After a simple service, each animal, including some photographs of pets, were blessed individually by Canon Peter Turbitt.

Wanda Oberman, who helped organise the service, said the aim was to give thanks for the land and to focus on sharing it with other creatures.

She said: "I think everybody who came enjoyed it.

"We had all ages there from really young children up to a sister from St Mary's Convent who is in her 80s.

"Some of the young children from St John Vianney School read some of the prayers, so they took an active part in the service."

One collie cross, now 17, went to the first Wantage service 17 years ago and is taken back every year by her owner Marcia Griffith to be blessed.

Disabled Jill Smith, a lay preacher in Stanford in the Vale, took along her dog Kira, who was trained by Dogs for the Disabled.

Polyanne lives at the Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary, in Old Didcot Road, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, near Walling- ford.

When she was rescued from a market in 1997, she was considered very dangerous and would bite and kick.

But now she appears regularly on stage at the Royal Opera House, London.