THIS is not a stitch-up: 750 tiny knitted angels vanished from Wantage town centre.

The diminutive divine dolls were created over recent months by the knit and chat group at Wantage Methodist Church and, at 5am on Monday, the group went and distributed their creations around the town centre.

When they went back at 9.30am, they couldn't find a single one.

Luckily that was the whole idea: each one of the 750 woollen wonders, inspired by a similar scheme in Newcastle, had a little note attached addressing whoever found it.

Each label carried a Christmas message like Peace on Earth and invited the finder to take the angel home.

That was the plan – the group just had no idea how successful it was going to be.

Carolyn Roche, who led the woolly workshops, said: "It was absolutely incredible: we went back out at 9.30am and couldn't find one for love nor money. I was delighted, because that was the one worry – will people take them? But our reverend Keith Underhill told us he saw people taking them and smiling."

The group are now planning their next knitting project for the new year.