CONTROVERSIAL visitor charges to York Minster have brought in £1.5million during the past year.

Senior church staff revealed that the fees have boosted the cathedral's coffers by £300,000 more than the amount of donations made last year.

Tourists were asked to start paying entry fees 12 months ago to help maintain the fabric of the historic building.

The funds will be used to care for the building, for choral music and for educational work.

Visitor numbers reached the 475,000 mark during the past year - and 35,000 of those were schoolchildren.

Church staff could not say whether more people had visited the Minster since the tills were introduced because numbers were not formally recorded before.

Opponents of the charging policy argued that people should be free to enter a church without any cost.

But officials say they had little choice but to charge visitors as the historic building's running costs amount to £10,000 a day.

The Dean of York, the Very Rev Keith Jones, said today: "All of us here wish we did not have an entry charge but as the Minster is a free-standing organisation with no government support, it is required to pay its way.

"Our thanks go to all those who have given generously to support the Minster and enable us to continue to worship Almighty God in this wonderful House of Prayer."

He said: "Preserving and running York Minster is always hugely expensive, but we hope to cut our operating deficit further this year, with our income from visitors forming a big part of this improvement.

"York residents and all children aged 16 or under enjoy free entry to the Cathedral. We have also arranged for free entry for people who wish to attend a service (where numbers are on the increase) or to use the Minster for private prayer."

Adults visiting the holy site which receives no funding support from central or local government for its upkeep, currently pay £4.50.

Entry to the undercroft, treasury and crypt costs an extra £3, while the tower costs £2.50. There is a 'special' combined rate of £6.50 for them all.

Updated: 14:26 Wednesday, August 04, 2004