A walk which has taken place for 40 consecutive years will not be going ahead this year.

People from eleven churches in the Egremont and surrounding area got together in 1979 and formed the Egremont and District Churches Together.

Since 1980 members from all of these churches have been meeting each year to perform walks of Christian witness.

This takes place during the five days of Holy Week.

Beginning on Palm Sunday the walkers follow a large wooden cross carried from one of the churches to another.

The walk continues on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Good Friday.

This walk has taken place each Holy Week, and last year, when they entered Egremont Methodist church on Good Friday it marked forty uninterrupted years.

An amazing 200 separate walks in total.

However, the walk will not be able to take place this year.

Douglas McDevitte, chairman of Egremont and District Churches Together, said the walk will not be going ahead.

He said: "We were planning to continue with the walks in Holy Week this year moving from Egremont to St Bees, Moor Row and Thornhill but sadly this is not now possible.

"We do intend to resume on Palm Sunday next year provided the current emergency is over.

"As well as being a Christian witness and good exercise the walks have been great opportunities to meet and chat with people from other churches as well as our own, and they will be again."

Last year over twenty people took part in the Egremont and District churches together walk, with several participants aged over 80 years old, one 85-year-old and a 91-year-old.

The five walks covered the southern end of the group, starting at Egremont Parish church, moving the cross on to Thornhill Mission, then across to St John’s church at Beckermet, Calderbridge and Haile before arriving at Egremont Methodist church.