Vicar seeks to lure faithful by buying the pub next door

AS well as offering Communion wine, a vicar has begun pulling pints after his church became the first in England to own a pub.

St Thomas’s, in Norwich, bought the premises next door for £500,000, when the vicar decided it was the best way to spread the word.

The Rev Ian Dyble said he remembered seeing a vicar behind a bar many years ago. “It was in the Lake District on holiday, in my pre-vicar days. I remember thinking what a good idea it was to engage in the community in that way, because as we all know, people’s interest in church is waning. It’s a way for us to reach out into the community,” he said.

Fittingly named The Mitre, the pub was put up for sale 18 months ago after a spell as a Chinese takeaway, and bought by the church after a fundraising drive.

The Rev Dyble added: “It’s also for people’s perception of the church to be changed. I would hope it would be a pleasant surprise for people.”