A West Pennard pub has banished Covid-19 in its first ever virtual wassail while the country remains in lockdown.

The Lion at West Pennard recorded a socially distanced wassail, which can be viewed above, on what many traditionalists recognise as twelfth night, before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar.

The wassail ritual has been performed for centuries, and usually sees drummers and singers parading to fruit orchards in an attempt to drive away bad spirits, and look forward to a good new year and a bumper fruit crop.

But, like many other events across the country, many of this year's wassail festivities have been cancelled.

However, rather than be outdone by the pandemic, the owners of The Lion, which remains shut during lockdown, set about recording a socially distanced ceremony in its car park, alongside a historic fruit orchard, but without the usual crowds of onlookers.

And because the past year has brought so much bad luck for so many, the pub has planted a new Kingston Black apple cider tree at the rear of the pub, which got a wassail blessing, including the pouring of Glastonbury Ales' cider on its roots. The tree has been kindly donated by nearby cider producer Hecks of Street.

The wassail tradition sees the burning of an ashen faggot to bring good luck, the firing of a gun to scare bad spirits, the hanging of cider-soaked toast in the tree to encourage good spirits and a bumper crop, and the burning of last year's troubles which, this year, included the ceremonial burning of a wooden Covid-19 molecule.

Owner Barrie Wilson said: "If there has ever been a year we've wanted to banish and wish away the bad luck, then it has to be 2020. And what symbolises that more than burning Covid-19 on a wassail fire?

"I've recently taken over The Lion but recognise that wassailing has been an important date on the pub's calendar and was only too pleased to host it again this year."

Wassail butler, John Tucker, who has taken part in wassails at The Lion for the past few years and who was the only person to take part this year, said: "I didn't want this year of all years to go by without a wassail.

"It's become a great traditional night in the pub's calendar, and while this year's may have looked and felt different, we've kept that tradition alive.

"Never has there been a time when we've desperately needed to invite good luck, and we've still managed to do that in traditional Somerset fashion."