5:33pm UK, Friday December 05, 2003

A German vicar was left red faced after accidentally giving dozens of parishioners hardcore porn films.

He had meant to send his flock videos detailing the life of Jesus Christ according to Luke's gospel.

But around 30 people were given a holy shock after putting the steamy flicks in their VCRs.

Frithjof Schwesig, vicar of Lampoldshausen, said: "In a first batch 20 to 30 videos were distributed and we immediately got a reaction from five to seven people saying we must have given them the wrong film.

"It was a real porn film. Within an hour our staff had collected all the videos."

He added: "Really, all were withdrawn."

Mr Schwesig said there had been a mistake at the Munich video copying plant.

He said 200 of the 300 videos ordered were pornographic.