A YORK church has abandoned the traditional Midnight Mass because of drunken people disrupting the service. 

Canon Alan Sheridan, of St George's RC Church in Peel Street, said the situation had become so bad in the past that bouncers were placed on the doors and some eight years ago the congregation was subjected to a drunken streaker. 

But he said since the church started holding Mass at 8pm on Christmas Eve, the problems had been reduced. 

Rev Sheridan said many people had previously been coming to the service directly from the pub.

He said:  "If they would sit and be quiet it would not be so bad but they tend to want to join in, in inappropriate ways shall we say."