MONTHLY signed services will be held at Holy Trinity Church, Skipton, in a pioneering initiative to open up the church to more people.

It will become the first in the Bradford Diocese to hold this type of service, which will be signed by the Rev Bob Shrine, chaplain among the deaf community for Bradford and Wakefield.

Mr Shrine, who is profoundly deaf, said without signed services many deaf people had no access to the church. He said he knew many people who had tried to go to mainstream services but did not find them "deaf friendly".

"Many give up going to church but the seed of faith is still there," said Mr Shrine, who already holds well attended signed services in Barnsley, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Huddersfield.

Ten deaf people attended a one-off signed service at St Peter's in Cross Hills, and a signed carol service at Holy Trinity on Christmas Eve also proved popular.

Now services will be held monthly, and will be open to both deaf and hearing people. The sign language will be translated into speech for the hearing members of the congregation.

Holy Trinity rector, the Rev Adrian Botwright said: "We are very conscious about making Holy Trinity an inclusive church. It is part of our attempts to make the church inclusive for people with disabilities."

The church is working hard to improve its accessibility for the disabled both in terms of physical access to the building and its activities and services. It already has a loop system for those who are hearing impaired.

The services will be held on the third Sunday of every month at 3pm.

* Mr Botwright has been appointed an honorary canon at Bradford Cathedral. He was nominated by the Bishop in recognition of his ministerial work in Skipton and wider community.

"The nomination has come as a complete surprise and I am looking forward to contributing to the life and worship at the cathedral and to the opportunities my canonry may present to strengthen the links between the church in Skipton and its Mother Church in Bradford," he said

He will serve on one of the cathedral's governing bodies and take part in some of the services. Honorary canons are given a stall in the cathedral named after a saint, and Mr Botwright will have the St Oswald stall.

He will be installed at the cathedral on February 17 during the 4.15pm Evensong.