BELINA the hen has ruffled a few feathers after taking five ducklings under her wing.

The big-hearted bird has become surrogate mother to the cute quackers after their real mother duck flew the nest.

Paul Yoward, 38, from Bradley Crescent, at Rufforth, bought Belina and the ducklings from Selby market as a surprise birthday present for his wife, Sue.

The hen sat on the eggs until they hatched and now proudly parades her new family up and down Paul's garden.

"I wanted something to give to Sue on her birthday, so this was perfect," said Paul, a landscape gardener.

"I've never known anything like this before. Belina is very protective towards the ducklings and waddles up and down our garden with them."

Paul and Sue's nine-year-old daughter, Hannah, hand-reared one of the ducklings, called Jemima, as she was very weak when they got her home.

She nursed her back to full health by making a makeshift incubator using a light bulb and feeding her sugared water.

"Hannah loves them," said Paul.

"She did really well with Jemima. They make a weird sight in the garden."

Paul said he planned to keep three of the ducklings and give two away to a friend.

Meanwhile, hundreds of children had a cracking time during an Easter egg hunt with a twist.

Youngsters scoured farmland in search of chocolate prizes at the Farmer's Cart shop and tearoom, at Towthorpe, Strensall.

Armed with quiz sheets about animals, 600 children located Easter chicks hidden in fields - avoiding rabbit holes, lambs, foxes and other obstacles on the way to tasty treats.

Edward Sykes, of the Farmer's Cart, said bright weather helped boost the crowds.

"It's definitely helped bring people out," he said. "Everyone has sat out on the grass eating their eggs."

Hundreds of churchgoers from all over the York area took part in the Good Friday procession of witness through the city centre to York Minster.

There they were joined by hundreds of others for a united service arranged by Churches Together in York to remember the death of Jesus Christ on a cross nearly 2,000 years ago.

The guest preacher, the Rev Sheila Maxey, moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, spoke of the "deep hypocrisy of the religious which we are all prone to", and urged the congregation to look into their hearts.

She said: "We come to the foot of the cross to let go of the burdens of our sin. Only then will we be able to light candles of hope for the grandchildren, for peace initiatives, for children in church.

"Some will go out, but we will light more."

The service ended with an act of devotion in which the congregation were invited to go forward, light a candle and place it on a wooden cross on the floor of the nave before leaving the Minster in silence.

Young and old came together in Selby as they marked Christ's Crucifixion.

About 100 people from Selby churches took part in the Good Friday walk of Witness, which started at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church.

The parade included individual church banners as churchgoers walked along Gowthorpe to Selby Market Place in warm sunshine.

Leading the procession and carrying a large wooden cross was the Rev Rob Wainwright, who is on placement at Selby Abbey.

A non-stipendiary minister, Mr Wainwright, of Hillfield, Selby, is a curate at Barlby and Riccall.

Surrounded by shoppers, worshippers then took part in an outdoor inter-denominational service, conducted by the Rev Michael Wear, minister at Selby United Reformed Church.

Updated: 09:09 Monday, March 28, 2005