A 19th century church is losing its pews in a bid to stay open seven days a week.

The doors at St John's Church in Cleckheaton are currently locked every day bar Sundays and it is the nearby church hall that attracts the community.

But in a bid to revitalise the church and save the cost of running two buildings, the hall is to be sold off. The money will be ploughed into the church, paying for the interior to be completely revamped.

Vicar the Reverend Jonathan Barker is behind the plans.

He said: "We feel that we can't continue with two buildings - the hall and the church - and that the church is actually big enough to include much-needed facilities such as a community area and kitchen," he said.

"The church needs to engage with the town and we could fill a gap. It is locked practically six days a week and many grants for repairs to the building are dependent on it being open seven days a week.

"By next summer we will have spent nearly £200,000 on repairs to the fabric of the church, including the roof, guttering and east gable end.

"But there is no point spending that money on conserving the church building when it is barely used. We need to move on and create a building fit for the 21st century.

"We hope the changes will bring people in not only for prayer but for entertainment as well."

The plans include a new main entrance, taking out the pews and installing comfortable seating for 200 and a new heating system which can warm sections of the church at a time. It is hoped the sale of the nearby church hall will fund all the changes.

He added: "The plans are on display and need to be approved by the Diocese, but if approved we could start in a year's time."