A 200-year-old church closed its doors for the final time after its congregation shrunk to just a dozen members.

The United Reformed Church in Haslingden has held its final service and given away its furniture to other places of worship after the North Western Synod took the ‘very sad’ decision to put the building in Regent Street up for sale.

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The closure of the church – which has had active membership in the town since the 1800s – means remaining parish-ioners will now have to attend churches in Accrington, Rawtenstall, Burnley and Nelson.

Rev Ronald Lewis said: “The congregation was just getting smaller and smaller.

“The people were becoming older and more senior and eventually there were no children attending at all.

“I was asked by the Synod to make a decision in February. I did look into all kinds of possibilities, but they didn’t feel it was strong enough to unite with another church and decided the time had come to close.”

The church has used its current premises, a former funeral parlour, for the past 18 years.

Previously, it used various other buildings in Haslingden, such as in Grane Road and Deardengate and the Swedenborg New Jerus-alem Church in John Street.

Rev Lewis said: “We held a farewell service on Sunday afternoon as a celebration of the life and witness of the church.

“It was bittersweet because it is always very sad when a church has to close.

“We’re hoping to sell the building, but it’s now a matter for the Synod.

“The communion table and furniture have gone to Burnley, some hymn books and the safe have gone elsewhere, the war memorial has gone to Haslingden Library, and the small electric organ has gone to charity.”