Star's 'save our churches' plea as 2,000 fear extinction

COMEDIAN Hugh Dennis is backing a campaign to save the nation's churches as 2,000 fear they might not exist as a place of worship by 2030.

- By Aine Fox

Outnumbered star Hugh, 63, whose late father John was an Anglican bishop, said churches must stay “at the heart of our heritage”. His comments come as nearly a third of 3,628 worship centres contacted by the National Churches Trust charity said they had an uncertain future.

One in 20 – equal to about 2,000 churches UK-wide - said they would definitely not or probably not be used for their original purpose by the end of the decade.