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 minster has been taken after a series of anti-social vandals seemed determined to halt services and shout obscene abuse at the clergy, staff 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 outside.

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.

But he pledged: "We will never let these people stop our services. We are very determined about that. It has come to something when we have to do this and obviously we do not like locking the main doors during evensong. But we had to do something to stop interruptions of services."

The main doors are locked shortly before start of evensong at 5.30 and reopened shortly before its completion.

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

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

Cathedral bursar Mr Nigel Clay has blamed a hard core of vandals for the trouble which on one occasion saw 16 foul-mouthed youngsters abusing a female member of the cathedral staff during a service. On other occasions the youths have shouted obscene language and helped themselves to prayer candles around the building.

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 special 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.