Silent nights at York Minster as angry bellringers pull together

York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe.

York Minster's bells could remain silent this Christmas for the first time since 1361 in an act of solidarity by bellringers after the church - the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe - axed its team of 30 dedicated ringers.

The Minster's team of bellringers were left in tears in October when they arrived for practice to find the locks to the belfry had been changed and they had all been sacked.

After a 17,000-strong petition addressed to the Dean, the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, called for the bells to ring at Christmas, the Minister approached campanologists from neighbouring churches to ring in the festive season.

But most of them are rejecting the Minster's offer in a show of support for the York ringers.

Leeds Minster's deputy ringing master, Robert Childs, said that members discussed the invitation from York's Dean and Chapter during a practice session where 13 members voted against, with two abstaining.

Childs said Leeds' ringers would normally have relished the opportunity to ring York's bells which, he said, have the finest sound in the country.

However, many of them knew York Minster's sacked team of 30 volunteer ringers, and felt they could not ring the bells in their place.

He said: "They felt it would be the wrong thing to do. You could see it as an act of solidarity with our fellow bellringers in York."

President of the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, Chris Mew, said the Minster was inviting ringers from outside the area to assist in ringing the bells over the Christmas period. He said they "must follow their own consciences" as to whether they accept.

"Whilst this may be attractive to the community, it has raised varying reaction from ringers approached to help and from the wider ringing fraternity," he said, adding that it was a "pity" the Minster had not processed safeguarding applications for some of the former ringers in time for the bells to be rung again at Christmas.

York Minster has said a new team of volunteers is to be recruited, headed by a paid bell-ringer known as the Head of Tower.

But it will take about three months to complete the recruitment, induction and training process.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said the team was disbanded because some members of the Minster Society of Change Ringers had consistently challenged the Chapter's authority.

There were also safeguarding issues surrounding David Potter, a former leading figure in the team, who was the subject of two police investigations following allegations made in 1999 and 2015. On neither occasion were charges brought. A York Minster spokesman said: "We are exploring options for ringing at Christmas but are not yet in a position to confirm if we will go ahead."