CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a new church hall in the graveyard at Hordle have won assurances that the sale of the existing Hordle Memorial Hall has been suspended.

The church had been planning to sell the Memorial Hall for housing and developers had until next Monday to submit tenders for the purchase of the site.

But objectors to the scheme say they have been told that it will not be sold until the outcome of a Winchester Diocese consistory court hearing is known.

The Vicar, Canon Michael Anderson, was not commenting on the situation and was referring calls to the church's solicitors.

Today, solicitor Andrew Johnson confirmed that the sale had been given a holding condition.

He said: "The position is that any offers for the church hall will only be accepted subject to a condition that the sale will not proceed unless the church is able to build elsewhere."

But the campaign against the new hall on graves in All Saints' churchyard continued this week with campaigners putting stickers on the windscreens of cars parked outside the church.

Parents of children attending the school next to the church have also been asked to sign a petition against the scheme and about 20 campaigners have been knocking on the doors of residents asking for their signatures.

Hordle Parish Council is also supporting the campaign. Its chairman John Grey told the annual parish meeting the parish had sent its concerns to the diocesan registrar.