CHURCH leaders revealed last night that they had been forced to introduce charges at York Minister after losing when shares plunged after September 11.

They said losses incurred had left them with a financial black hole.

The minster is suffering from huge debts and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, yesterday confirmed that an entry fee would be in place from August.

Adults will be charged £4.50, or £3 if they qualify for a concession, and children under 16 will be allowed free entry.

At a conference held to explain the financial crisis, Dr Hope said the minster had suffered from the catastrophic fall in worldwide markets and it had seen the value of its investments plummet as a consequence of the events of September 11.

The Chapter Steward, Peter Lyddon, said that the September 11 attacks had also drastically affected overseas visitor numbers.

"Seven years ago, we had about 2.2 million visitors annually. Now, I think we are barely scrapping a million," he said.

The 13th Century minster is losing £500,000 a year, said Mr Lyddon.

The outgoing Dean, Dr Raymond Furnell, announced the introduction of compulsory entry charges last month.

The Archbishop, who had opposed the charges, said: "I have reluctantly concluded, and with some disappointment, that given the present situation and circumstances, the chapter has little option other than to proceed with their decision."

The minster will be following in the footsteps of both Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral.

However, Durham and Ripon cathedrals have no plans to introduce compulsory charges.

While the minster's charges faced some stern criticism, Dr Hope said yesterday that the library, which houses books and documents going back to the Middle Ages, would be saved from closure as had been previously feared.