A DILAPIDATED Victorian chapel in the centre of a Teesdale village is still on the market.

The Primitive Methodist Chapel at Toft Hill, near Bishop Auckland, went on sale earlier this year, but recently the estate agent's sign was replaced with one indicating the building had been sold.

However, the sale did not proceed and the chapel, which has planning approval for conversion into a five-bedroom family home, so the building has gone back on the market.

A spokeswoman for Sandersons Surveyors, in Barnard Castle, said: "There had been an offer but the sale did not go through and it is still totally on the market."

The chapel closed in 2001 after high maintenance costs and a falling congregation meant it was no longer practical.

It was bought by a private buyer and remained unused for three years, falling into disrepair. However, in June this year, it went back on the market for £145,000.