Church hit by anti-social behaviour to reopen

A church which partially closed last year because of anti-social behaviour in the graveyard says it will gradually reopen.

St John's Church in Glastonbury, Somerset has only been open for weddings, funerals and Sunday service because of people drinking and taking drugs in the churchyard.

Reverend Alice Watson said the problem was "still an issue" but "opening the church and making it into a space where people want to visit is probably the best thing to do".

Watson said they need volunteers with "a couple of hours to spare" each week to "sit in the church and welcome people in".

St John's Church first announced it would be cutting back its opening times in May, after a spike in anti-social behaviour.

Watson added: "If anything, it's been getting a bit worse this year over the winter.

"And it still is focused in the churchyard and in the porch," she added.

She said reopening the church would be the first step in a wider plan for the churchyard, which includes installing CCTV.

She said the church would host a number of coffee mornings and would open several afternoons a week.

Church warden David Smith said they wanted to encourage "positive use of the churchyard".

"A lot of people in the town were very sad to see that happen, but very, very supportive of why we had to do it," he said.

"Our hope is that we'll have some volunteers from the church, from the local community, from the council, and from various groups that use the church.

"It's just having people available, a friendly face, just welcoming people into the church and just being there if people want to ask questions," he added.

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