AFTER months of debate, a tiny religious group has finally won council approval to hold a mass in one of Britain's oldest and smallest churches.

Philip-James French, a priest in the Holy Catholic Church Western Rite - Orthodox Catholic Faith, planned to hold a mass at the long-disused St Andrew's Church in Upleatham, near Saltburn, in July.

However, when it emerged the mass would not be a Roman Catholic service permission was refused.

Redcar and Cleveland Council, who have owned the church since 1987 when it was handed over by the Church of England, have reconsidered. All that remains is for the Western Rite Christian group to receive permission from the Church Commissioners.

Council leader David Walsh said: "I believe we should accept the application on the basis of the case that the church put forward and the difficulty in getting to the root of the objections from the local Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches."

A spokesman for the Church of England York Diocese said the church had wanted more information on the Western Rite faith group and Philip-James French, but had never formally objected to a religious celebration taking place.

A spokesman for the Rt Rev John Crowley, Roman Catholic Bishop of Middlesbrough, said: "We were concerned that ordinary Roman Catholics might think this was a Roman Catholic service, but if it is clear that it is not we have no objection."