Parishioners who staged a sit-in to save their church claim the Church in Wales have forced them to give up in a bid to reform and modernise church life.

The Church in Wales agreed to lease the Friends of All Saints Church in Rhondda, but parishioners could not afford to pay the £400,000 worth of repairs they say were needed.

A Church in Wales spokesperson told the BBC: "The representative body of the Church in Wales, which owns All Saints Church, sent a draft lease to the Friends of All Saints on May 11 and is still waiting for a response.

"We would be willing to meet and discuss any concerns they have.”

She added: "Leasing the building for a year would have given the friends an opportunity to see if they were able to draw up a proper business plan for the building, investigate grants and raise the money needed to enable it to return to being a place of worship.

"Once the archbishop had been satisfied that the building's future was secured with enough money raised, worship there would have been able to resume.”

Church members said they felt “bereft and let down” by the Church in Wales hierarchy.