CHURCH leaders have rejected a move to discourage parishes in North Yorkshire from applying for funding from the National Lottery.

The Reverend Tony Shepard of St Peter's Church in Harrogate proposed the move at a meeting of the synod of the Diocese for York, Ripon and Leeds at a meeting on Saturday March 8.

He said by applying for lottery cash, churches were, in effect, giving their "blessing" to gambling.

Of the 100 synod members, only four supported the motion.

  • For more details see The Press today.