GUILT-RIDDEN parishioners packed a cathedral's "sin bins" with a stash of booty after a sermon on stealing.

The ill-gotten gains surrendered by worshippers in York after a talk on the Ten Commandments, included £2,500 in cash, CDs, an Action Man doll, hotel towels and even a Crunchie chocolate bar.

The sin bins were set up inside York Minster for churchgoers to rid themselves of guilt following a Though Shalt Not Steal session.

Most of the items deposited in the bins were stolen goods, but after a session on healthy relationships, a batch of porn-ographic material was left.

The Just 10 series of talks is based on a modern-day interpretation of the commandments and sees people handing over items they feel "challenged about".

After a sermon on How to Tame Your Temper, air rifles and knives were found at the bottom of the sin bins.

Organiser Mark Rance said: "The sessions aim to give people the opportunity to explore the Ten Commandments. It tends to be forgotten that they offer a guide to modern living, with subjects like stress, contentment and relationships.

"We have large wheelie bins in the church at every session and people can put anything they want into them.

"We did a session on How to Tame Your Temper and we had air rifles and knives handed in, which we gave to the police.

"Some of the money is in envelopes with people's names on, and we forward it on.

"We do the same with anything else we can easily trace, such as the Action Man which helpfully still had the shop's sticker on it. The remainder of the money is divided among local charities.

"It is about people making a response to what they hear. It is thought-provoking stuff."