Mr Morton was invited by Soul to visit the church and also examine the estimates for repair calculated by themselves and those provided by Shrewsbury diocese.

After his analysis, Mr Morton con-cluded the figures provided by the bishop were “gross overestimates”.

He said: “I am also of the opinion that the revised budget figures pre-pared by Soul are more appropriate.”

Mr Morton believed the cost of re-pairs could be spread over a number of years, with the most urgent being comparatively inexpensive.

Soul have called on the Charity Commission to investigate, as well as attempting to take legal action to stop the church’s closure.

The campaigners are angry that assets they estimate at some £350,000 donated by parishioners – but in an account controlled by the diocese – are not being used to benefit their church, fondly known as the Dome of Home.

Instead, Catholic church money is being used to refurbish the Anglican All Saints church, outside New Brighton, which the diocese wants but which many Catholic parishion-ers say they do not want to use for worship.

No one from the Diocese of Shrewsbury was avail-able to comment last night.

liammurphy