Parishioners of St Peter’s Church in Devizes have been told they will have to contribute more to the coffers in order to get a new priest.

Father Peter Moss, priest in charge, retired recently after seven and a half years’ service at the church in Bath Road.

Church treasurer Geoffrey Pritchard told the church’s annual meeting that St Peter’s must raise money in the future.

He said last year the expenditure over income was £3,919, a position that is “not sustainable”.

In the latest edition of the church magazine, he says that if the church was to persuade Salisbury Diocese to appoint a new priest they had to be in a more financially sound position.

He said more income had to be raised from fundraising activities and every member of the congregation had to help.

He said there had always been a “wonderful spirit within the congregation in difficult times in the past”.

Mr Pritchard said: “I am sure, with that spirit and the help of the Lord, we will overcome this difficulty.”

He urged everyone to “put your shoulder to the wheel and all pull together”.

Father Derek Frost, of Potterne, will conduct and take charge of services at St Peter’s in the meantime.

Jean Hosie and Ann Reeves have been re-elected as church wardens and Ian Bradley and David Purchas were re-elected as deputy wardens with the former also as secretary.