A COUPLE in their eighties have married at an Accrington church which has been shut for three years.

Joan Croasdale, 81, of Nutter Road, tied the knot with Bernard Roberts, 85, of Epsom Way, at St John the Evangelist Church, where she has worshipped since childhood.

The Addison Street church closed in June 2007 after insurers said they would not cover the 140-year-old building because of concerns over electrical wiring.

But thanks to a £90,000 renovation and volunteers’ hard work, the ceremony went ahead.

Mr Roberts said: “We've been waiting for three years. Joan, being a lifelong member here, was determined.

“But for the parishioners here, who have been wonderful, and people like organist Peter Harrison who came down from Scotland because he said he was determined to play for Joan, we wouldn't be here today.

"I cannot thank Frank Whitehead and the band of workers enough.”

Mr Whitehead, the church warden, said he was “pleased and relieved”.

He said: “We had to close, and at the time we didn’t know whether it would reopen.

"Fundraising at the time brought in around £45,000, revolving around the Accrington Pals chapel.

"So we went for an English Heritage grant and got £45,000 from them.

“The heritage people did the roof and made it water-tight and we did a complete rewire.

“The parishioners, led by myself and my wife, brought it back together. It’s a work in progress.

"There is a lot of plasterwork and decorating to do but it’s superficial stuff, really.”

He said the church plans to reconfigure some of its rooms in time for its 150th anniversary in 2020 in order to serve the needs of the community and help tackle issues such as drug and alcohol use, and deprivation.

The church officially reopens on September 26, which will coincide with the national event Back to Church Sunday.