A DISPUTE over the date of a church cake stall has left a sour taste in the mouths of rival fundraisers.

The Christian Aid group in Crook and Willington wants to launch Christian Aid week with a charity stall in Crook market place on May 12. But the same date has been booked by the social committee at St Stephen's Church, Willington, which says it is too late to make a change.

Now Christian Aid treasurer Isabel Rossall has angered the vicar of St Stephen's Church, Father Paul Grundy, by accusing the church of a lack of Christian charity.

She said last night: "It is tradition that we use this Saturday because it starts Christian Aid week. Everybody in Crook and Willington knows this. We always raise between £100 and £125, and a lot of people in Willington have contributed in the past. Christian Aid have only the one Saturday to raise funds, St Stephen's has all year. Where is your Christian charity St Stephen's?"

Fr Grundy said: "I will turn the other cheek. We didn't know they wanted the same date. They should have booked it earlier. By the time we were asked to change it was too late, because all the arrangements had been made and we had publicised the date. We would have changed if we had known earlier.

"A lot of people support both the church and Christian Aid. They get a lot of collectors from our church. They should be careful what they say."