Bingley residents who campaigned to save a church from demolition are furious they are now being asked to help fund a new church in its place.

Mornington Road Methodist Church was demolished earlier this year to make way for a modern chapel and 12 homes.

Campaigners lost their fight to save the Grade II listed Victorian landmark after raising £180,000 in just five months for a revamp.

But despite money obtained from the sale of some of the land and some of the building's features - including gargoyles and pews which were flown to Japan and Australia - it has been revealed there is not enough cash to fund the new church.

The vicar, the Reverend Ruth Parry, said rising building costs led her to produce a leaflet inviting residents to contribute to the 'substantial cost'.

Former church organist and choirmaster Keith Thompson said he was appalled at the request. "It really surprised and angered me when the leaflet was pushed through my door," he said. "They've been fundraising for the new building for ten years and it seems ludicrous that we should be asked to help pay for a church that we never wanted."

Councillor David Heseltine (Cons, Bingley) said he was concerned to hear townspeople were being asked to foot the bill. "In depriving Bingley of a magnificent building of architectural and historical importance, people had rightly expected the church would have done its sums correctly before taking a destructive and irreversible course of action," he said.

Mrs Parry said during the four years it took to get the project off the ground construction costs rose significantly.

"The process has been particularly lengthy in this case meaning that the cost is greater than when first proposed," she said. "There are commercial arrangements with the developers that it isn't appropriate to talk about publicly at this stage.

"We are very grateful to those who have already responded with donations."