CHURCH leaders in Bolton have praised a new ruling which means they will not have to apply for entertainment licences when staging non-religious concerts in their churches.

A storm of complaints greeted the original Government plan for churches to pay for licences, like bars and clubs.

The vicar of Bolton parish church, Canon Michael Williams said: "We are grateful about this because it would have been difficult for churches to decide what they needed a licence for and what they didn't.

"Also, no churches would be making a profit and the events that we put on for the community might have been affected."

The Rev Felicity Shaw, of All Saints in Farnworth, said churches rarely used concerts to generate money.

She said: "It makes life easier for all churches because a lot of smaller ones don't have the money to pay for such licences and most don't put on concerts for money."

One Bolton church that will remain unaffected by the ruling is the Theatre Church on Seymour Road, which already has a licence because of its regular stage performances.

The Rev Carol Braithwaite said: "We have already got a full licence because we have a lot of productions, but we are glad that other churches do not have to go through the process of getting one."

The Government said it hoped the changes would allow religious institutions and music societies to flourish. Village and community halls will also be exempt from paying fees for providing entertainment.