A CHURCH dedicated to the Accrington Pals still needs more than £60,000 if it is to remain open, it was revealed today.

As anger grew across East Lancashire to proposals to remove and relocate some First World War Graves belonging to members of the East Lancashire Regiment -- of which the Accrington Pals were part -- church bosses urged people to help them save the area's main memorial to the fallen soldiers.

St John's CE Church, in Addison Street, Accrington, was the place where the 11th Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment met before going off to serve King and Country.

They had responded to a call from the Monarch for able young men to enlist for War. The picture of fathers, sons, friends and work colleagues marching out of Accrington in 1914 to be trained ready for life in the trenches remains one of the enduring images of their bravery.

They all assembled at St John's for a service before their departure because Accrington's parish church was closed for repairs at the time.

Ever since, a chapel at St John's has been dedicated to the memory of the Pals. It contains a plaque, a memorial book and flags and is the official place of remembrance for the ill-fated regiment.

But now, like the rest of the church, it is in need of urgent repair.

Fund-raisers have collected £40,000 in the year since problems were first spotted, and this has helped to pay for work on the church's spire, which has been out of bounds for some time.

But damp is wrecking the other walls, beams spanning and the church also need strengthening.

Andy Shepherd, churchwarden at St John's, said: "It is amazing that we have managed to raise £40,000 so far but we do need at least another £60,000.

"The Pals' chapel is the memorial to the Pals and it is a focal point. We hope people will help us get the money to keep the church going and keep their memory alive."

The money raised so far has come through various fund-raising events as well as grants from local organisations, including Hyndburn Council, which gave £3,000 a year.

Every February, a memorial service is held for the Pals at St John's. It is attended by armed forces, local people and historians, as well as people dressed in the uniform the Pals would have worn.

The Battle of the Somme, on July 1 1916, is the Pals' most famous battle. Many died within minutes of being sent 'over the top' as a bloody battle for land around the French village of Serre began.

Hundreds of graves marked to the East Lancashire Regiment -- made up of soldiers from across East Lancashire -- are dotted across Northern France.

Dozens, it is feared, could be moved if plans to build Paris' third airport in the area goes ahead.