A VICAR hailed for saving the city's "cathedral" is moving on to pastures new.

Rev Archie Coates joined St Peter's in Brighton in 2009, a year after the church was closed on safety grounds.

The Church of England said the building could no longer be used, and the congregation was moved to the nearby church hall.

But after being ousted from the hall and forced to gather in Bardsley’s fish and chip shop in nearby Baker Street, the group, led by former Brighton borough councillor Jean Calder, fought back.

The Argus: St Peter'sSt Peter's

They campaigned to save St Peter’s and set up a petition to reopen it, which was supported by people ranging from shoppers at the Co-op in London Road to rubbish collectors who held a protest at their depot.

It received 7,000 signatures, many from those who had fond memories of weddings and baptisms there and many others who said they wanted to “sit in St Peter's and think”.

Vicar Nicky Gumbel from London’s Holy Trinity Brompton stepped in to offer his support as the congregation took on the Church of England in an appeal to the Church Commissioners.

The Argus: Reverend Archie CoatesReverend Archie Coates

Then in 2009 Rev Coates and his wife Sam, also from Holy Trinity Brompton, along with Nicky’s son Jonny gathered a small number of their congregation and set off for Brighton to re-open St Peter’s, this time with a specific focus on young people.

The church flourished, and has once again become as packed for Sunday services as it was in its formative years.

The building itself remains clad in scaffolding due to repair work but it remains in a strong position for its saviours, Archie and Sam, to move on. Archie will become vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton.

They will leave St Peter’s church, or “cathedral” as it has become affectionately known, in the hands of Reverend Dan Millest, who is currently an associate vicar in Kuala Lumpur, but will head to Sussex in September.