A POOLE church has celebrated its milestone 80th anniversary.

Broadstone Baptist Church marked 80 years at York Road with a special service on Sunda, pictured right.

A capacity congregation of 160 packed out the service, which was led by pastor Tim Gamston.

Guest speaker Steve Brady, the principal of Moorlands College, Sopley, also addressed the congregation.

A church spokesman explained: “It was in early 1933 that Harold Frank Joiner, the Broadstone village postman, purchased a good-sized plot of land in York Road for £60 to build the original wooden tabernacle church.

“Frank had taken the initiative after the Bible class he had started in 1928, in a room above his father Elias’ Broadstone shoe shop, had outgrown the available space.”

A number of special guests joined the congregation on Sunday, including relatives of former pastors and those with links to the church.