Places of worship can begin to re-open from July 4th with new safety measures in place.

Teddington's St Mary with St Alban Church is hoping to re-open on the same days as many local cafes and restaurants.

Vicar Joe Moffatt stressed that safety is still the number one priority. He said:"Even with the reduced distance we would not be able to seat all our regulars.

"It might be possible to start at 20% capacity but we are still awaiting guidelines from the Church of England. Our focus will still very much be continuing the online services.

"But I am very pleased that we should be able to start doing small weddings and funerals soon."

Weddings and funerals will still be limited to just 30 people but previously numbers have been strictly controlled, which has restricted the opportunity to say a proper farewell to loved ones and close friends.

The House of Bishops, a senior body within the Church of England, said in a statement:"The House of Bishops has welcomed and commended the decision of the Government to open places of worship for public worship from 4th July at a virtual meeting held on June 24th.

"Government guidance is permissive, not prescriptive. Churches that are not fully ready by July 4th should not feel any obligation to rush to restart public worship.

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"For clergy who have been shielding, the House agreed that personal safety should continue to be prioritised and that duties could still be performed remotely."

St Mary with St Alban has been providing online services on Zoom and is open for private prayer.

Usually the church attracts 225 worshipers on a Sunday but has managed to lift these numbers on the online services.

Check the church website for up to date information and services