WHEN a 90 year-old Guiseley woman attended church last Sunday morning she had no idea she would return home baptised - a second time.

And the minister, who arrived for the service wearing a suit, 'shocked' his neighbours by returning home minus his trousers and clad in a large towel.

Clare Shetliffe-Smith, pictured, of Cavendish Road, attended Guiseley Baptist Church last Sunday for what she thought was to have been a normal service.

However, when the minister, the Rev Simon Hammond, 40, of Silverdale Avenue, Guiseley, finished his sermon, which referred to baptism, he opened up the baptistry to provide visual aid.

A number of church members including Mrs Shetliffe-Smith asked if they could be baptised.

"Because of my age and because the water was cold I did not have a traditional baptist baptism, which is full immersion in the water, but instead had water poured over my head," she said.

Mr Hammond said he had been surprised at the number of people who had spontaneously decided to be baptised. "Fortunately we had a number of baptismal gowns at the church so we were able to cope but I decided that Mrs Shetliffe-Smith should not be fully immersed. I am afraid I gave her a thorough dousing but she did not mind," he said.

"I usually have spare clothing with me but on this occasion I loaned my spare pair of trousers to one of the men who was being baptised. As a result I got wet through and had to return home wearing a towel round my waist," added Mr Hammond, above.

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