Six sheep graze on Flower Bowl cinema roof in Preston to keep grass trim
Six sheep are grazing on the green roof of the Flower Bowl cinema in Preston as a free alternative to mowing, ITV News reported.
How it was covered
- ITV was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the novelty and cost-saving of sheep mowing a cinema roof.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Six sheep are grazing on the green roof of the Flower Bowl cinema complex just north of Preston. ITV News reported that the venue had struggled to mow the grass on its roof and decided to call in sheep instead.
The broadcaster said the idea had been considered once the grass was established. ITV News reported that children had been standing in the car park for long periods to catch a glimpse of the sheep.
According to ITV News, the flock came from an agricultural college down the road. The college provided a free lawn-mowing service in the form of five Dutch females and one male. The sheep have shelter, a water trough and a five-foot fence, and ITV News said they appeared untroubled by passing cars.
ITV News reported that the sheep have a view of the West Pennines and have become entertainment for people visiting for curling or a film. One sheep, Sean, appeared to eat the most, judging by his size and growth, the broadcaster said.
The sheep are expected to stay until winter sets in, when they will be brought back down. ITV News described the sight as a free show available all day, every day.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| The Flower Bowl cinema complex near Preston brought in six sheep, five females and one male from an agricultural college, to graze its green roof after mowing the grass proved difficult. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1 treated the story as a light-hearted end-of-bulletin item, leaning on the novelty of sheep on a cinema roof and the practical problem of mowing a green roof. Its report focused on the free lawn-mowing arrangement with an agricultural college, the sheep's living conditions and the public reaction. It closed on the seasonal timetable for bringing the flock down.
- “The aptly named Flower Bowl in Preston was struggling to mow the grass on its green roof. The answer? Call in some sheep.”
- “On a patch of grass just north of Preston, six sheep are grazing. But this is no ordinary field. It's actually the roof of a cinema complex”
- “When winter sets in, they'll be brought back down. But for now, the sight of sheep on the roof is a show that's free of charge and available all day, every day.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.