VILLAGERS have rallied around three churches crippled by debts.

A cash crisis at churches in Southwick, Heywood and North Bradley led to an urgent meeting between church leaders and villagers on Sunday night.

Over 100 people from the community turned up to lend support to the threatened churches and now a team is to be set up to run local projects and fundraising.

The Rev Julian Parker said: "It was amazing that quite a few people turned up saying how lonely life was in the villages.

"Now we can hope to draw together a team from the community who can help.

"Lots of different people in the area have varied skills and contacts and just from that meeting we came up with a lot of good ideas."

Due to mounting debts caused by a drop in the congregation and a lack of community spirit it was feared the three churches faced a bleak future.

A projected budget by the Parochial Church Council revealed the churches could be nearly £200,000 in debt by 2006.

Mr Parker said: "It was clear from the meeting that many other clubs suffer the same problems as we do but now at least we are trying to do something about it."

The three churches affected by the cash shortage are the 650-year-old St Nicholas in North Bradley, St Thomas in Southwick and Heywood Church.