TWO BELARUSIAN nuns have arrived in Winchester to raise money for drug addicts and orphans in their homeland by selling mohair shawls.

The two sisters have travelled more than 1,200 miles to England's historic capital to take part in Winchester Cathedral's first ever German-style Christmas market.

The pair came across an advert for the market on the Internet while at their convent in the Belarus capital of Minsk and wrote to the cathedral asking if they could run a stall, the proceeds of which will be going to various causes in their country.

The sisters got to Britain in a van which they packed full of goods produced by the other nuns at their convent - St Elizabeth's Convent - including shawls, ceramic painted Christmas decorations and traditional stacking dolls.

Winchester Cathedral Dean, The Very Reverend Dean Atwell, has also offered to put up the two nuns during their ten-day stay in Winchester to ensure they can take back as much cash with them as possible.

The market itself starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday, December 10.

A temporary ice rink has already been constructed at Winchester Cathedral and there are German-style wooden chalet stalls from which the traders will sell their wares.

Cathedral events organiser Stephanie Swann said: "A few weeks ago I had a rather unexpected request for a chalet for the Christmas market from two young nuns from the St Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus.