Gay Catholic Mass Services Cancelled After 6 Years

Special fortnightly "Soho masses" held for gay and lesbian Catholics at a central London church for the past six years are to end, the archbishop of Westminster has announced.

The services, intended to be particularly welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Catholics, had been held with the blessing of senior clergy at the Our Lady of the Assumption church in the West End but had attracted criticism from traditionalists.

In a statement the diocese of Westminster said while the services would stop, "pastoral care of the community will continue" at the Jesuit Farm church in Mayfair, central London, on Sunday evenings.

In a statement on the Catholic Herald website, the archbishop, Vincent Nichols, said: "The proper use of our sexual faculty is within a marriage, between a man and a woman, open to the procreation and nurturing of new human life."

UK Braced As Flood Warnings Continue

Yorkshire residents are bracing themselves for yet more flooding today, after 13 separate warnings were issued across the region.

The majority of the flood warnings are in York and its surrounding villages, where much of the community is still trying to get back on its feet after serious localised flooding in November.

The Environment Agency said 76 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected and immediate action should be taken - are in force nationwide today.

There are also 109 flood alerts nationwide, warning residents to be on their guard as floods are expected.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Despite the improving weather conditions, there is a continued risk of localised flooding over the next few days as river and groundwater levels are still high.”

£3.9m Boost For Scottish Cycling

The Scottish government is to invest an extra £3.9m in cycling infrastructure over the next two years.

The largest part of the investment - £3m - will go towards the creation of the National Cycle Network route between Oban and Inverness.

And £400,000 will be spent on encouraging children to cycle to school.

The funding is part of the capital projects investment announced by the finance secretary in December.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said last year had been a "fantastic year for cycling in Scotland", with the country's Olympic success leading to a huge surge in interest in cycling both for recreation and as a way of getting around.