A CATHOLIC priest today told how he has been forced to recruit a team of 'bouncer' altar guards to protect his church from yobbos during weekly confessionals.

Father Kevin Griffin revealed that gas-sniffing youngsters and drug pushers plague the area around St Edward's and Sacred Heart on Blackburn Road, Darwen.

And he appealed for help in protecting the building after enduring months of abuse.

So far this year, youths have burst into the confessional box, walked around the church laughing and shouting and wandered around the altar mocking the priest and his congregation.

Now Father Griffin has recruited eight volunteers to watch over the church after asking for help during mass last weekend.

Confessionals are held each Friday between 6.30pm and 7pm and Father Griffin said: "Just after Christmas youngsters began coming into the church. This stopped during the snow but in the last

couple of weeks they have been coming in again.

"We have had a lot of problems with youngsters in the area, sniffing gas around the church grounds and I understand there is drug pushing going on close by.

"I have had lighted matches and a banger bomb thrown through my front door, youths climb on the roof and I have had to endure foul language when I have gone out to remonstrate.

"I am unable to see what is going on while I am taking confession so now two members of the parish will stand near the back of the church each week so people can come into church in peace.

"The altar is holy to us but these people are acting in a mocking manner.

"I didn't want it to get to the stage where people stopped coming because they didn't feel safe and I am going to contact the police about doing something to supervise the whole area around the church.

"I don't know what is wrong with the young people around here."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.