ATTENDANCES at York Minster reached nearly 20,000 for the series of evangelical meetings led by international preacher J John.

The weekly Just 10 series, which aimed to offer personal improvement through following the Ten Commandments, has now drawn to a close.

The York-based ecumenical group, One Voice, which organised the event, hailed it as a "tremendous success".

The free meetings, which cost about £75,000 to stage, tackled weighty issues such as adultery, theft and violence.

J John encouraged people attending the meetings to dump pilfered items, pornographic material and weapons of violence into amnesty boxes.

Over the ten weeks an array of unusual, dangerous and valuable items was put in. They include: a BMX bike, three air guns, two knives, more than £2,500 in cash, jewellery, a collectable Action Man, tarot cards and a Crunchie bar.

Co-organiser Christian Selvaratnam said dangerous items had been passed on to the police. All others would be returned to the owners or sold with the money going to local causes.

He said more than 500 people had accepted J John's invitation to step forward at the Minster as a "public response" to the message.

J John said afterwards: "If we have brought help to battered wives; if we have inspired a failing marriage; if we have helped reconcile parents and children; if we have helped anyone on their spiritual journey to God then we have significantly helped the people of York."

Mr Selvaratnam said: "We would like to thank the Minster for letting us use the cathedral free, and everyone else that has helped."

The Just 10 organisers have now planned a massive three-course banquet in the Minster as a launch for a series of Alpha courses on Thursday, September 19, at 7.30pm.

Updated: 10:51 Saturday, June 22, 2002