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Town hall officials have been branded PLONKERS – after a real-life version of a famous Only Fools and Horses episode unfolded in a Serbian city.

In a 1986 episode of the much-loved BBC comedy – The Miracle of Peckham – Del and Rodney try to convince churchgoers that tears coming from a statue of the Virgin Mary are genuine Holy Water.

Instead, they turn out to be rainwater dropping into the statue from a leaking roof.

And now, suits in Novi Sad have been compared to the Trotters after claiming that Holy Water is flowing through all the town's taps and pipes.

(Image: BBC)

City authorities called in an Orthodox priest to bless every drop of water flowing from the public reservoirs and claim it will promote the city as a place of culture and spirituality.

Water company Vodovod's spokesman Tomislav Bokan explained: "Thanks to us, the people of Novi Sad from now on will drink only consecrated water."

He added: "This is how we show our real spirituality, our culture and our city's great history."

But the move has baffled locals who are mocking the idea of holy water on tap.

City news website 021 said: "Are they for real? Wasn't this one of Del Boy's tricks?"

The news website added: "What happens to people who aren't Christian? Is it like vampires? Do their throats burn up? Do they choke? Or are they converted?"