WHEN Jim Amos heard his local church was to close, he was determined to pull out all the stops to save the organ.

With a little help from his friends, Mr Amos dismantled the instrument, carried it home and rebuilt it in his garage.

Members of Billy Row Methodist Church, near Crook, County Durham, have become members of surrounding churches. But they were able to rescue the heart of their small chapel - the large pipe organ.

Now Mr Amos and his wife, Sue, have opened up their home for a festive sing-a-long with the church congregation.

Mrs Amos, who plays the organ at St Paul's Church, Spennymoor, said: "You hear of a lot of churches closing and the organ getting scrapped. So we decided it would be a good idea to bring it here."

It took two days for the organ, with its 600 pipes, to be dismantled and six months to rebuild in the couple's home.

It became a labour of love for Mr and Mrs Amos and two colleagues from Harrison's organ builders, who gave up their free time.

Mrs Amos said: "I like to think that we are looking after it for the chapel, and any of the members are more than welcome to come along and see it and play it.

"We have been talking about getting together for some time and Christmas seemed the perfect opportunity."

Christine Colling, former organist at the chapel, and Lesley Morland, former secretary, were among the group who gathered for the carol singing.

Mrs Colling said: "I think it's wonderful that it's here. It is appropriate that it stays in the village where it belongs."