A Cheltenham church hopes to become the hub of the community following a £200,000 revamp.

St Paul's Church, in St Paul's Road, now has under-floor heating, new carpets, freshly painted walls and new seating to create a lighter and larger space.

The expensive refurbishment has also seen the church's bar area extended.

Vicar Roger Widdecombe said: "Everything is ready in time for Christmas.

"It has been money well spent and feedback has been very positive. It has completely opened the church up.

"The church is now much more inviting and there is greater room for children, meaning we can hold many more events."

The revamp was undertaken because the venue was considered to be too cramped, a problem that was felt to have discouraged visitors from staying and building relationships.

Mr Widdecombe, who has served at the church for three years, said the decision to remove the pews in favour of more comfortable seating had raised eyebrows among some of the congregation.

However, he added that most churchgoers recognised the development was in favour of progress.

"The idea of revamping has been about since the 1990s but it was Christmas last year when we decided to go for it," he said.

"We want to make the church a more welcoming place for the community."

The church did not have to obtain permission from Cheltenham Borough Council for the work on the grade II*-listed building as internal works are governed by the Church of England.

It now holds a mother and toddler group every Thursday which was previously held next door in the church hall.

And on Saturday it will host a craft fair at 2pm for families to make their Christmas decorations.

The revamp was funded by a combination of donations from church members and grant applications.

Although the inside is now complete, there are still plans to improve the exterior of the church.

Mr Widdecombe added: "We are hoping to have the drains cleared, which unfortunately are at the front of the church. We also want trees planted and for there to be less on-street parking on St Paul's Road.

"It is currently very difficult for families to cross the road to get to church."

For more information on the church, visit the website at www.stpaulscheltenham.com.