CASH-strapped Malmesbury Abbey has been accused of not doing enough to raise money.

Last Sunday the Rev Peter Yacomeni gave what honorary verger Bill Blake described as a verbal assault on the congregation, urging them to spend less on holidays and luxuries and more on the church.

Mr Yacomeni is reported to have said that those who had withheld money in disagreement with the Church's handling of issues such as homosexuality should consider leaving for another church.

The attack was prompted by a report to the parochial church council, which revealed the church would be £10,000 in deficit at the end of this financial year.

Parishioners have now hit back at the abbey for its lacklustre fundraising attempts.

The church has been without its own vicar since the Rev David Littlefair retired in June, and Mr Yacomeni has been among those standing in.

The new vicar, the Rev Neill Archer, takes up his post at Easter.

Former Brokenborough churchwarden Eileen Hearsey of Startley, said the abbey should make more effort.

She said: "It should get on and make some effort, a cake stall once a month or a coffee get together.

"Come on congregation, put a bit of effort into things and be ready to help our new vicar, or the Rev Neill Archer will have a hard time.

"I can remember when the abbey held wonderful annual ftes at Tower House, a good fundraising effort, but nothing seems to happen now."

Churchwarden Mr Jager conceded that not enough had been done in the past to raise money.

He said: "That is fair comment.

"When we come to fundraise ourselves it is just difficult finding people to organise anything.

"Although we haven't emphasised it as we might have done."

Mr Jager said there had been a very good collection at the carol service on Sunday and he hoped that the church's pleas for more cash were being heeded.

But he added that more activities would be arranged in the future.

"We would like to hold a flower festival some time in the future, maybe June or July," he said.

The funding crisis at the abbey will be one of the first subjects to challenge Mr Archer.

He would not comment on the financial problems but said he hoped to increase funding by presenting God's vision to churchgoers.