THE NATIVITY story is taking to the road in the north Cotswolds this year.

Rev Fred Dawson, whose parish includes Mickleton, Aston sub Edge, Weston sub Edge, Saintbury and Willersey, is taking the Christmas message out to the various villages on his patch.

He will be holding the traditional nativity service in St Lawrence's Church, Mickleton, at 4pm on Christmas Eve, to which children are invited to come dressed as a character from the nativity story.

Afterwards, he will be taking a Land Rover pulling a trailer, with bales of hay, real sheep and Mary and Joseph, on the road.

The tableau will stop outside the club in Aston sub Edge just before 5pm, before moving to the car park at the Seagrave Arms in Weston sub Edge at around 5.15pm, then on to Saintbury by Cusack's Glebe at 5.30pm, before ending up at Willersey around 5.45pm.

At each stop, there will be Christmas carol singing and Rev Dawson hopes villagers will join in.

"It is the first time we've done this. I came to the parish in May and we, as a family, had have nativity processions in the past.

"This is the first time we have had five villages and it seemed a good idea to have this to make an impact in each village," said Rev Dawson.

The final stop on the tour will "blend in" with the annual Carols round the Jubilee bench in Willersey, which starts at 6.30pm.