Rescue deal agreed for cathedral

Creditors have agreed to a deal over Bradford Cathedral's debts

A financial rescue package has been agreed for a Yorkshire cathedral which has debts of about £4m.

Bradford Cathedral ran into difficulties as a result of its "Life Force" millennium exhibition which attracted few visitors.

Now the creditors have agreed to accept a small proportion of the money they are owed.

One firm, York-based Past Forward, started legal action to try and recover the £100,000 it was due.

Visitor numbers

The Dean of Bradford Cathedral, the Very Revd Christopher Hancock said he was grateful to the creditors for agreeing to the deal.

The agreement was the only viable course of action to solve the problem, he added.

"I sincerely wish another solution had been possible. I will always count it an honour to have served the congregation and people of Bradford as Dean of the Cathedral during this terrible phase in its life," he said.

The aim of the Life Force project was to establish a multi-faith exhibition which would be a living history of faith and beliefs.

As a result, St Peter's House was acquired as the project's base and work was carried out to develop the building.

But visitor numbers failed to reach expectations and in February 2001 the doors were closed on the exhibition after just three months.