BERTIE the sheep is settling in well at his new home after his rescue from eviction at a Saltburn churchyard.

The Dutch Texel, rescued by Paul Tidy and his partner Andrea Cooke after he was rejected by his mother as a lamb, helped to keep the grass tidy at Emmanuel Parish Church, grazing in the garden by day and sleeping in his owners’ yard at night.

But, just over a week ago, churchwardens issued an eviction notice and the race was on to find Bertie a new home.

Mr Tidy thanked the public and the media for their support and added: “People have been so kind.

We’ve had a number of offers to take Bertie and it was difficult to choose one.

“However, we had a phone call last Friday from Upsall Hall Rural Centre.

“They had heard of Bertie’s plight on the radio and were eager to help. We visited them over the weekend and it was obvious that this was the place for Bertie.

“We moved him on Monday and he got a very special welcome. It was marvellous to see how gentle everyone was with him.”

Upsall Hall is open to the public during the week from 9.30am to 2.30pm.

As well as the rural centre, there is a café, a farm kitchen, a plant centre and a walled garden to enjoy.

Run by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, it is part of the learning disabilities service offering education, work and training to more than 100 adults in the area.

Lisa Wright, the facilities co-ordinator, was keen to show how well Bertie had settled in to his new home. He has another sheep, Mary, for company, as well as two small goats.

“He seems to like Mary,” she said. “They share a stall and they were nestled up together last night.”

A Facebook page set up to protest against the eviction has more than 500 members from all over the country.

There have even been calls to boycott the church and its shop in Saltburn.

A volunteer at the shop said she hoped this would not happen.

“The shop does a lot of good,” she said. “It raises money for missions abroad and helps a lot of people.”

Friends old and new are welcome to visit Bertie at Upsall Hall, which is off the A174 at Swan’s Corner, Nunthorpe