MORMON worship in Swindon dating back 160 years was marked with a two day celebration over the weekend.

The church has just recently moved back into its chapel on Highworth Road after undergoing an extensive extension building programme to accommodate the growing congregation.

Bishop Gareth Stayson Taylor said: “Originally it was designed for 250 people to worship on a Sunday morning, but with the extension we are now able to accommodate 350 people.

“The earliest congregation in the church was back in 1855, so in addition to marking moving back into the church we are also celebrating 160 years of worship in Swindon.

“The church is very active in Swindon and has great history and legacy of supporting family units within the Swindon area.”

Marking the prestigious milestone the mayor of Swindon Andrew Bennett was given a tour of the newly extended church and the congregation hosted a family fun day.

Bishop Gareth said: “We are very grateful to Swindon for the support it has given the church. Churches are not always seen as the highest priority because it doesn’t employ people and doesn’t generate income for Swindon, so we are very grateful to receive permission to build the extension to increase the capacity of the church.”