Parishioners have apologised for filming churchgoers as a dispute over church building works divided a Cambridgeshire village.

Two parishioners at the church of St Peter and St Paul in Bassingbourn took matters into their own hands when their beloved local church became the subject of an extensive overhaul.

The £800,000 plans for the 14th century church include installing a gallery, heating system, removing pews, improving the kitchen, and installing meeting rooms and a crèche.

Jeremy Bedford and Sam Spreadbury set up a camera to carry out their own survey after they disputed attendance figures provided by the vicar.

In a consistory court judgment, Anthony Leonard QC, Chancellor of the Diocese of Ely, said the pair had "carried out their own survey a week or two before this hearing with the use of a camera trained on the south door from inside a nearby house coupled with a visit before the service to check who was already inside".

The vicar, the Revd Dr Caroline Yandell, and her supporters, said that around 70 people attended services, but the opponents were trying to prove that the real number was "closer to 50".

"Leaving to one side the issue of filming people without their knowledge, it is indicative of the atmosphere of mistrust that prevails that the parties opponent should feel the need to do this rather than to attend a service to see how many attended," he said.