YOUNG churchgoers, impressed by a daring 24/7 group which set up a prayer room in a clubbers' mecca on Ibiza, decided to follow suit.

The Christ Church, Pennington youth group prepared a room in Church House for a seven day, round-the-clock prayer marathon.

On top of their agenda were devotions for an Algerian asylum seeker who has found a new family in the church, and who this week was due to face a final appeal to be allowed to stay in the town.

Church youth leader Chris Abbott, 28, said: "Praying for him was one of our big issues. He has been here for two years.

"A Christian in a Muslim country he was forced to flee and sadly his cousin has been shot. His family is still there and he desperately wants to see them, but his life is in danger.

"He has very much become a part of the church here. As a lecturer in horticulture he has done a lot of work in the church grounds and helped the young people clear a patch of land in Bonnywell Road.

"He is a very private person but has mixed well with the community and found a good family in the church, which has been praying for him in the hope that he will be successful in his appeal."

He said: "The TV show prompted the young people, who are interested in helping the community, to organise the event which was joined by congregation members from Bethany Evangelical Church, Living Waters, Kings Park and Kirkhall Lane Independent Methodist Church.

"Over the seven days around 150 people prayed in one hour sessions and everyone in the five churches got behind us.

"We covered all sorts of issues including the community and politics but mainly to help our Algerian friend."

Craig said: "It seemed there was a genuine desire to pray together. It also prompted a desire to repeat the exercise. Someone suggested we could manage for 40 at Lent, or in a glass box suspended over Leigh! We shall have to see."