A Barrow church which was built after its predecessor was wrecked by German bombs in the Second World War was facing demolition in 2011.

But church procedures and the fact it had still not been decided what would replace St Luke’s in Roose Road meant the building was unlikely to topple for at least another year.

Before the bulldozers went in, an open-air service would be staged beside the church so those who had loved St Luke’s or had links to it due to major events in life such as marriages, christenings and funerals, could bid it farewell.

The original St Luke’s was one of four Barrow churches built at the same time and dedicated simultaneously in 1877 to accommodate the spiritual needs of a rapidly-growing population.

The St Luke’s which existed in 2011 was consecrated in 1964 after an appeal launched in 1958 raised £30,000 for a post-war rebuild.

The Mail reported in 2011 that the South Barrow Ministry of the Church of England - comprising St George’s, St Luke’s, St Aidan’s and St Perran had taken the decision to close St Luke’s because the costs of fixing the leaking roof and repairing the structural damage would have been prohibitive for a church with a dwindling congregation.

Regular services had stopped in 2008 and the last event inside the church was the harvest festival in 2010.

Geraldine Southam, of Dalton, said in 2011: "I am the church warden for St Luke's, which I took on after the church was made redundant.

"You have to have a church warden even though the it is closed. Basically, I just have to do a weekly check on the premises."

She had recently taken round a former vicar, the Rev Marlene Wilkinson, who was retired and living in Wakefield.

The church contained some unusual items, including a wheeled pulpit and coloured Lady Chapel windows by 20th century designer John Piper.