Church has no problem with Mary wearing riding helmet for nativity play
A church in Neath has played down the fuss over a child in its nativity play having to wear a riding hat for health and safety reasons.
Bridge Church is using a real donkey in its Christmas nativity event taking place in the town centre on Saturday.
The church found itself in the papers this week after it emerged the eight-year-old playing Mary would have to wear the riding hat to meet the donkey owner's licence requirements.
Despite the headlines, Mark Barrett has made it clear no one at the church has a problem with the requirement.
"We know the hat can easily be covered up by the costume," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"The donkey is going on a public highway and that's the reason she's wearing it - we have got to consider the health and safety of everybody involved.
"It's gone from there - nobody has put our arms behind our backs to do this."
