CONGREGATIONS at Ripon Cathedral are being locked in during evening services in a bid to curb young hooligans barging in and disrupting services.

The decision to lock the main west doors at the cathedral has been taken after a series of incidents in which vandals seemed determined to halt services and shout obscene abuse at clergy and congregation.

Since the main doors have been locked there have been no incidents inside the cathedral, although stained-glass windows have still come under attack from stone-throwing youngsters.

Metal grilles now protect most of the windows following a spate of vandal attacks.

Canons' verger Jonathan Rhodes said the decision to lock the doors had been taken reluctantly.

He said: "We will never let these people stop our services. It has come to something when we have to do this, and obviously we do not like locking the main doors during evensong."

Meanwhile, additional staff are on duty during services to closely monitor little used side doors.

The Dean of Ripon, the Very Reverend John Metheun has denounced the behaviour of the youngsters, saying it was something he had never experienced while at his previous post in Manchester's notorious Moss Side.

Mr Rhodes said they were co-operating with North Yorkshire Police in a bid to stamp out the problem.

"If we do get trouble they arrive very quickly," he said.

With congregations of between 1,000 and 1,300 expected for Christmas and New Year's Eve services, potential troublemakers have been warned that a full complement of staff will be on duty to prevent problems.