THE vicar of St Mary's, Todmorde, Canon Peter Calvert, has asked for an appeal to be set up because "our old boiler finally packed in this summer."

He said the replacement will cost more than £4,000 which, he says, the church does not have.

And he has suggested a special fund be launched to clear off the debt as quickly as possible.

He says his own efforts will be printed Christmas cards, showing St Mary's in the snow.

And he added: "Please don't buy your Christmas cards until you've seen mine."