Child ban at grisly Easter show

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Parents are being asked not to bring their children to a grisly Newcastle church service which depicts the hours leading up to the crucifixion.

Pastor Mark Elder, of Heaton Baptist Church, warned his Good Friday service should carry a 12 certificate.

He believes Christ's suffering has been forgotten, and the message has lost out to commercialism and chocolate.

During the service, scenes from the controversial Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ will be shown.

Pastor Elder said children were welcome at other services, particularly on Easter Sunday, and he was not against giving Easter eggs to youngsters.

We wanted to present a frank and unsanitised view of what the Good Friday events were like Pastor Mark Elder

He said: "We will be using readings, poetry, visuals and music and we felt it would not be suitable for children.

"We strongly suggested to parents it would not be child-friendly.

"We wanted to present a frank and unsanitised view of what the Good Friday events were like."

He added: "The congregation is very supportive.

"They fully understand what happened on the cross 2,000 years ago was the most brutal way of death."