IT was a very merry Christmas for the Island’s churches, says the Dean of Jersey, the Very Rev Bob Key.

Church attendances were up, record numbers of Islanders turned out for special Christmas events and the number of businesses holding carol services increased.

Mr Key said all the evidence showed that Jersey’s churches had had ‘a very good Christmas’ and had got the message of God’s unending love over to the public. ‘It wasn’t that they weren’t doing it before,’ he said, ‘but this year the churches had a very good Christmas. They got out there and told people about God’s love and they did it very well.’

Particularly successful were the many outdoor and out-of-church events that were held over the Christmas period, which Mr Key said attracted record attendances. ‘At the carol service in the Royal Square there were crowds all the way from the podium at the front to the Cock and Bottle pub at the back. It really was a phenomenal number of people,’ he said.

• Picture: Carol singing in the Royal Square