AN appeal by the Reverend Peter Yacomeni for more money to plug a deficit in Malmesbury Abbey's funding, has provoked anger and allegations of verbal abuse from members of the congregation.

Last Sunday, the retired clergyman, who is standing in until the new vicar takes office, urged parishioners in his sermon to give up some of their luxuries like holidays, to help the abbey.

The historic building needs to find £147,000 a year, including its £90,000 quota to the Bristol Diocese.

A recent financial report to the parochial church council has forecast income, which includes donations from the congregation and visitors, will not cover expenditure, and there will be a shortfall of more than £10,000.

Mr Yacomeni would not comment on the content of his sermon but admitted that the church was finding it hard to make ends meet.

He said: "The abbey has been finding it difficult to make its books balance and it is necessary we should all give rather more if we want the abbey to continue.

"My sermon was the third in a series of three. The other two were more encouraging.

"My job was to give particular consequences and not everybody liked that very much."

Verger Bill Blake said the sermon was more like a verbal attack, and that the responsibility for speaking out should have been with the new vicar, Neill Archer, who will be taking over at Easter.

He said: "The Rev Peter Yacomeni delivered what some of the congregation may consider to be an unprecedented verbal assault.

"He also stated very firmly that those who were withholding money as a protest over their unhappiness with the Church of England, should seriously consider leaving the abbey to join another church.

"Some may take the view that Peter Yacomeni has spoken out of turn."

But not everyone thought the sermon was too hard-hitting.

Mollie Raiss, of West Street, Malmesbury called it a brave sermon.

She said: "I do not think the sermon was aggressive. It was certainly very challenging."

The abbey's financial problems will undoubtedly be one of the major issues to test the abbey's newly appointed vicar.

Mr Archer, 42, who became a priest in 1999 after a career as an opera singer, said he could not comment on the church's finances or Rev Yacomeni's sermon.

He said: "I only met Peter Yacomeni very briefly when I visited the parish and I cannot really comment on the finances. My first priority for the next year will be to get to know people."

News of the abbey's financial plight will raise a few eyebrows coming just a month after plans for a £2million extension were announced.

Churchwarden Chris Jager said the financial situation could have been worse if an anonymous donor had not stepped in. He said the short-term future of the abbey was not threatened but the deficit was a concern.

"We are not happy with the situation but we are not about to close the abbey next year. It's not about doing something drastic. It is something we have to address in the long term," he said.

He defended the plans for the new £2 million, three-storey extension.

He said the addition of new toilets, bookshop, exhibition centre and space for the vicar's offices and the community was needed if the abbey was to move forward.