An Addingham church is hoping the village will rally around to help it solve a £4,500 heating crisis.

Since the end of last week Mount Hermon Chapel has had to rely on just one ageing heater after the other half of the system was condemned as unsafe.

The Wesleyan Reform church was also told that the remaining heater has been certified fit for use for the last time, and will need to be replaced within the next year.

Coming at the end of a week when temperatures frequently fell below freezing, Pastor Susan Roe says the news represents "a real set back" for the church.

She said: "They have disconnected one of the heaters completely, which has been a great blow to

us.

"They have allowed us to carry on with one, which we are running almost continually to try and keep the place warm, but we now have to look at getting a whole new heating system.

"That is going to cost between £3,500 and £4,500. The timing for this couldn't be worse because we've just had a very bad cold spell.

"At our coffee morning on Saturday everybody complained that it was cold and that's the last thing we want in our church. In the church itself you couldn't say it was actually cold but you do have to sit with your jacket on.

"We had started a Privy Fund to raise money for some much needed new toilets, but now we have got to start raising money for this before we can do anything else."

Mount Hermon endured major disruption last year when £25,000 worth of work, including the complete rebuilding of the ceiling and the re-pointing of its exterior walls, was carried out.

Thinking the worst was behind them, church members had hoped to be able to focus on pushing ahead with a new toilet block this year but are now just hoping villagers will lend a hand with the heating problem.

Mrs Roe said: "We knew the system was old, more than 20 years old, and that sooner or later it would go but we really didn't expect it to happen now.

"We got all the other work finished last August and thought 'lovely, we can now quietly raise some money for a new toilet block', but this has set all that back.

"I hope anyone who can help, who has any ideas or would like to organise a fund-raising event to raise funds for us will get in touch - we would be very grateful."

Anybody who would like to help can contact Mrs Roe by calling (01943) 831824.