Worshippers at a village church near York were today reassured that it would almost certainly remain open, despite fears about funding for repairs.

The Evening Press recently reported the concerns of the assistant curate of Holy Trinity Church, in Elvington, the Rev Chris Parkin, that it could be forced to close after coming under attack from vandals.

In a letter to the village magazine, he said repairs to smashed windows had used up valuable funds and could force closure if building inspectors found work was needed, during its impending five-yearly health and safety building inspection.

But Martin Sheppard, spokesman for the Diocese of York, said closure was not an option.

"There is no closure threat to Holy Trinity Church in Elvington, but it is certainly true that the vandalism is going to be very expensive indeed to repair, and more will have to be spent now on protecting the windows against this sort of attack," he said.

"That money won't be there for other repairs caused by proper wear and tear on a well-loved Victorian building, and so sooner or later the committed local people who support Holy Trinity will finish up digging deeper into their own pockets because of this vandalism.

"Vandalism is an occasional problem for a lot of churches nowadays, both in towns and in the countryside. Churches aren't the only targets - phone boxes, bus shelters, village halls are all vulnerable, and the church is no different in that way. But local people often feel strongly about their church - even if they don't go there every week, they might have been married or baptised there, or have relatives buried there, and vandalism at a church can feel like a very personal attack.

"Chris Parkin is right to raise this as an issue for everyone in Elvington, as part of the wider picture of damage to other community facilities, and I know he is one of those working to try to find other activities and interests for those who might be tempted to pass their time by causing damage."

Ian Bailey, chairman of Elvington Parish Council, said: "I welcome the news on behalf of the community that the church is to remain open."

Mr Sheppard said the Diocese of York offered advice and guidance to 600 churches on maintenance, repairs and security, and the Archdeacon of York was in touch with Mr Parkin about steps to protect Holy Trinity.

Updated: 10:56 Wednesday, May 11, 2005