THE railings of a village churchyard have been decorated with a sea of colourful ribbons.

Villagers in Horsley were asked by the Church to tie ribbons and leave messages, with the aim of offering hope and solidarity to worshippers, neighbours and passerby’s.

And while the lockdown is now lifting and a semblance of normality has returned, the ribbons serve as a reminder of the coronavirus' impact.

Horsley Church spokeswoman Roberta Ritson said: “It is a way of reaching out to dear neighbours, who have mixed experiences and feelings.

“Everyone probably knows a person or a family, who have had the virus or died, and the underlying feeling is that all of our collective experiences are valid and important.”

It is thought that the first person to tie a ribbon on the railings was one of the village’s oldest residents.

Terry Mulligan, who also left a message on the railings, said: “I think my message ‘Peace be with you’ is a lovely one. If you wish people that, you wish them everything.”

Roberta explained that church leaders had worked hard to continue worship remotely.

“These weeks have brought opportunities for participating in services online, in Tynedale and beyond”, she said.

“Everyone under the care of the United Reformed Church Northern Synod was invited to celebrate Pentecost with German Lutherans via zoom.

“Pfarrer Martin Henniger ended communion by asking that hands, hearts and senses be used in steadfast, loving service.”