AN unholy row involving a vicar and a bible dumped at a rubbish recycling tip has been resolved after a county council handed over the holy book to the church.

Retired Anglican priest Andrew Woodhouse was furious when an attendant at the recycling centre at Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire, refused to let him take the volume of the historic bible out of the compacting skip, even though it was laid on the side.

The book's elderly owner had said Rev Woodhouse could have it and had given him the other volume of the two part set.

But today North Yorkshire County Council, which runs the recycling centre, invited Rev Woodhouse and the Rector of Bedale Rev Ian Robinson to accept the book for thw town's St Gregory’s Church.

The two part set is a Dore Bible, well known for having magnificent illustrations by engraver Gustave Dore. They can be quite valuable, but these editions are not in good condition so are not thought to be worth a large amount.

The council said staff at the centre were unable to allow Rev Woodhouse to take the book from the compactor when he saw it being discarded and removed the book from it for safe keeping.

“Compactors, by their nature, are potentially extremely dangerous,” said a spokesman for the authority's waste management team.

“They crush the contents prior to them being removed for landfill. There are strict regulations governing access to the compactors, to protect members of the public from accidental injuries which could be of a very serious nature."

Rev Woodhouse said: “Although it is not in a very good condition, I was very anxious that it should not be destroyed. It is pleasing that North Yorkshire County Council has now presented the book to St Gregory’s.’