WHEN a North-East church congregation welcomed a worshipper from the US into their flock they had no idea they were being given marks out of ten.

But parishioners at St James the Great Church in Darlington had nothing to worry about, because their guest praised them highly on the Internet.

The visitor came to Darlington in the summer on behalf of the website ship-of-fools.com, which sends reviewers around the world to rate churches.

Father Ian Grieves said he only knew the 127-year-old church had been inspected when he received a card through the post.

"I remember this chap being here from New York, I think, but thought nothing of it. About three months later I got a card with a picture of a lone ranger with a bandit's mask on, explaining we had had a mystery worshipper."

The card directed Father Grieves to the website, where he discovered his church in Albert Hill had got ten out of ten and a glowing review.

The mystery worshipper said he had never been so warmly greeted nor seen such a lovely church interior.

"Everyone had lovely 'homey' northern English accents and warm, welcoming smiles," he wrote. "The pews were some of the most comfortable I have encountered. Father Grieves has a no-nonsense style that gets to the point and gets on with it. Darn it, I'd move to Darlington for this church, if I could figure out a way to make a living there," he said.

Father Grieves said: "It's rather like mystery shoppers being sent to supermarkets. It's a fantastic thing and we're just pleased this chap enjoyed his visit so much."