FIVE female vicars startled parishioners as they donned tutus and set off on a charity conga.

Cancer Research UK asked people to dress up in unusual and unpredictable ways to raise money for its research.

"Funny and feisty" Sussex reverends Ann Waizeneker, Helen Rose, Emma Ham-Riche, Angela Martin and Lisa Barnett stepped up to answer their prayers.

Decked out in dog collars, stripy socks, and bright orange tutus, the vicars danced around Shoreham, raising eyebrows near the ancient St Mary de Haura church.

Lynn Daly was photographing the vicars. She said: “People were just stopping in their tracks. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Parishioners don’t often see their vicars in orange tutus. One little girl was going past on her scooter and she was so struck she almost fell off when she saw them.”

The vicars were taking a twirl as part of the Stand up to Cancer campaign, in support their colleague Rev Pauline Ingram, 63, associate vicar of Maresfield and Nutley.

Pauline was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer in 2015.

She needed six months of chemotherapy and had to step back from clerical duties. She is now recovering slowly, and said she could not have coped without her faith.

She said: “Cancer is a scary word but I know God loves me so I am just working through this with him.

“It doesn’t mean I won’t be ill or I won’t die, but I know everything will be alright – I haven’t been abandoned.”

“I’m sorry I missed the tutu fun, but glad they went ahead with it. The money people raise is desperately needed – it’s thanks to research that I’m still standing.”

Around 130 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the South East. The charity unites scientists with communities across the UK to fund new tests and treatments for cancer.

You can donate online at: https://www.standuptocancer.org.uk/