THOUSANDS of pounds owed to a charity by a shamed vicar may have to be written off after he was declared bankrupt.

Christ's Hospital, in Sherburn, Durham City, is owed almost £75,000 following legal action against former master, the Reverend Graham Pattison.

The Charity Commission took Mr Pattison and county councillor Ron Morrisey, former chairman of governors for the charity, to court over inappropriate use of funds and breach of trust.

He was ordered to repay the £75,000 by the High Court in London, last year.

Included in the money owed was an executive pension policy for his wife, who was head of care at the hospital at the time.

After investigations, the hospital has been told that no identifiable assets could be found for Mr Pattison to use to repay the money.

Chief executive Stephen Hallett said the charity had to resign itself to the fact that it might never see any of the money.

He said: "It is easy to get the judgement of the court, but it is not as easy to get the money.

"The only way we could see ourselves getting some of the money back was declare Mr Pattison bankrupt."