PRESTON North End's Deepdale stadium is no stranger to housing 15,000 people screaming their support, but last weekend saw the stands packed for a different reason.

That's the Spirit was a joint celebration by scores of Christian churches throughout Lancashire to commemorate the Millennium and create the biggest-ever Christian get-together.

Organised by the group Churches Together in Lancashire, people came from miles around to join in the singing and watch the colourful pageant. The mammoth event was led by the Lancastrian Brigade Band and Corps of Drums, who have just returned from the Dunkirk Pilgrimage 2000.

Preston Mayor, councillor Joe Hood and his wife Enid, led the gathering from Lancaster Road to Earl Street, Market Street, Cheapside and Fishergate before heading to the Parish Church of St John, in Church Street, for the couple's first service in their mayoral year.

Members and officers of the council, visiting civic dignitaries from the Fylde and Ribble Valley as well as South Ribble's mayoral couple Graham Davies and his wife Margaret joined the gathering while staff and pupils from Tulketh and Ashton High schools and Preston Sea Cadets lined the procession route.

Members of the ex-services council carried the standards and formed a guard of honour as the civic party entered the church where the service was conducted by the mayor's chaplain, The Reverend Canon Martyn Griffiths.

PNE chairman Bryan Gray said he was also happy to welcome more than 1,000 people to the event.