Sheep return to roof of cinema complex to keep lawn in trim

A cinema complex in Lancashire has come up with a lawn-mowing solution with a difference – by deploying sheep on to its grass-topped roof to help keep it in trim.

The six Dutch spotted sheep belong to Myerscough College but have been moved a mile or two down the road to the Flower Bowl in Preston, which houses a bowling alley, restaurants and sports facilities.

The centre had sheep in previous years but they were moved out for safety reasons during the coronavirus pandemic.

Director Peter Topping said: “We have mown it in the past but we have to carry the small mowing machines up the staircase so it’s a lot easier to get the sheep up there and leave them to do their work.”

Andrea Gardner, director of farm operations and innovations at the college, she was “so pleased” with how well the animals were doing, as part of a special joint project with the two sites.