WORSHIPPERS at a High Wycombe church are desperately seeking a new place of worship after a two-month eviction notice for their church building expired last Saturday.

Trustees and leaders of the Abundant Life Family Church, in Corporation Street, gathered at the weekend to see if their landlord John Dunningham, who owns the building, would carry through the eviction notice.

After a normal Sunday service, church leaders returned on Monday to find the locks changed and a chain across the car park.

Mr Dunningham, of Maidenhead, plans to use the land to build 31 flats, and issued notice to the church group in May after receiving planning permission from Wycombe District Council.

Leona Boateng, 50, an Abundant Life Family Church trustee said they need more time to relocate.

She said: "We do not have a problem with Mr Dunningham building his flats, we just ask him to wait until we have found somewhere else to go."

The application to build one, two and three bedroomed flats was registered in February last year.

In a statement made to the district council in support of his application, Mr Dunningham claimed the church were "in the process of moving to more suitable premises".

This is denied by the church members.

Mrs Boateng said: "We have never been in the process of moving and we are still using the building."

Since then, despite desperate attempts, church officials have been unable to find a suitable replacement building in the area.

The church group use the building most days, and on Sundays services are attended by about 80 people.

The group also has thousands of pounds worth of equipment in the hall which needs relocating.

The church has urged anybody who knows of any vacant buildings suitable for the church to contact them urgently.

A statement issued on behalf of Mr Dunningham read: "We are dismayed to be forced to take such action by any tenant, especially a church.

"The church has had every opportunity to find alternative premises over the past two years."

Wycombe District Council said it could not comment on the planning application as it has already been granted.