HE became the unlikely star of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, stunning commissioners when he offered his paw to shake the hands of his human friends.

Scott, a hearing dog, attended the event with his owner Rev Mary Whittaker, who was born deaf, and took part in the Sign of Peace tradition alongside the rest of the delegates.

Ms Whittaker, who became a minister four years ago, said: "He comes to church with me all the time so he sees us giving the sign of peace and he says, 'What about me?'

"God created him as well and he likes giving the sign of peace to people."

Commissioners to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh have also been amazed at Scott's ability to understand sign language.

A cross between a golden retriever and a labrador, Scott is Ms Whittaker's second hearing dog and has been with her for three years.

He wakes her up gently when her alarm goes off.

When the doorbell rings, he lets her know by touching her leg.

She said: "When he gives me the sign, I follow him and he will take me to the door.

"It's most important when I'm travelling because if a fire alarm rings he can let me know with a special sign."

Ms Whittaker, 55, who was born with no hearing at all, said: "I can't hear if someone's shouting my name, but they can shout Scott's name and when he turns to look so do I."

She wants more deaf people to consider becoming ministers and has also called for a review of the Church's guidelines on ministering to the deaf community.

She said deaf people need to feel welcomed into the ministry so they can speak for themselves and worship in their own language, sign language.

She said: "It's about empowerment, empowering deaf people to become leaders. I feel that's important because for so long other people spoke for us.

"Deaf people want to study, pray and preach, and I want to welcome people to use those gifts.

"They are only deaf. There is no reason they shouldn't be able to use their gifts."

Ms Whittaker ministers to two deaf congregations in the presbytery of Moray: St Johns in Aberdeen and Moray Deaf Church.

She has also visited Shetland, which has no specific worship for deaf people.

People who have been deaf since birth have a culture based around sign language and only learn English as a second language.

She added: "Sign language has a different structure, different grammar.

"I'll never be as good in English as I am in my natural language.

"When I'm signing I'm a fish in water."

The Church's existing rules were written in 1969 and have been completely out of date for decades, she said.

They assume ministers will work with deaf people, but not be deaf themselves.