Annual religious procession was cancelled due to covid-19.

When covid-19 caused the cancellation of an annual procession to venerate Saint Barbara, the patron of the central Italian town of Rieti, disappointed residents thought that was the end of the matter.

However the fire brigade, whose patron saint also happens to be S. Barbara, had other ideas.

Firefighters strapped a statue of the saint to the side of the fire brigade helicopter and took to the skies above the town so residents below could honour their saint.

• Exploring the villages of Sabina north of Rome

The unusual spectacle occurred on 4 December, the saint's feast day, a popular occasion that usually draws hundreds of visitors from near and far.