A VILLAGE church is being declared redundant after two public meetings failed to save it.

St Mary's Church, at Marton-le-Moor, near Boroughbridge, will close permanently unless an eleventh hour objection is upheld by the Church Commissioners in London.

Priest-in-charge Canon Penny Driver arranged two meetings - the second "just to make sure" - that there was no chance of saving the church, which holds about 60 people. It served a community of about 120 people.

About 16 people attended the meetings but, despite sadness at the church's demise, no one was able to produce a financial solution to keep it open.