TIM McLaughlin thought his son had been drinking when he told him the Virgin Mary was in their front garden.

Drawing back the curtains of his Whalley Road house in Clayton-le-Moors, the support worker could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the biblical statue.

The 4ft tall plastic holy figure mysteriously arrived during the hours of darkness last Sunday.

Tim, 49, who works for Calderstones NHS Trust in the Ribble Valley, said: "I got up on Monday morning and discovered she had just been left in my garden. My son saw it first. When I opened the curtains she was just stood there at the bottom of the garden facing the house.’

His wife Carol, 46, also had a bit of a shock when she returned home from her late shift to find the Virgin Mary greeting her as she stepped out of the car.

Tim added: "I went to the police station but they said they hadn’t had any reports of it being stolen. I went to St Mary’s Church in Clayton and the priest said he would ring around.

"There’s a bus stop right in front of our house and I’ve had a few funny looks. I think someone took it after a few drinks and got sick of carrying her. I have brought her inside now out of the cold and she’s sitting in the front room near the television."

Anyone who knows where Mary lives is asked to contact the Observer newsdesk on 871444.