A MALDON church has thrown its doors open to a new group of people – anyone caught up in a new mobile phone craze.

Pokemon Go, which was released in the UK last week, uses phone GPS (global positioning system) to allow players to catch virtual monsters near them.

Within hours of its release the game became enormously popular, with young people regularly spotted walking around the district staring at their phones.

Maldon Methodist Church in High Street is a designated Pokestop – a marked place of in- terest in the game.

A sign has now been placed outside the church welcoming play- ers.

The idea was the brainchild of a member of the congregation and has been praised across the UK.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

The sign says: “Maldon Methodist Church is a Pokestop. You are welcome! Visit us again for Sunday morning worship at 10.30am. Jesus cares about Pokemon gamers.”

The Rev Sue King said: “At Maldon Methodist Church we do have a few young people. The mother of one of them told me about it – I thought Pokemon was a thing of the past.

“She asked if I would mind if she went ahead with it. I have had messages from across the UK saying ‘wow’. It has been really good.

“I think for us so many people see church as a cosy club for people to go to on Sundays. We think much more broadly and we want everyone to know that Christianity is worth following.”

The Rev King said the Pokestop might encourage people to think about their faith.

She added: “Even if they never come inside the church hopefully they will sense a connection and think actually church is part of our world today. I am delighted with it.”

People across the district have been hooked on the game and a Facebook group has been set up in Burnham.

Pokemon was first popular in the 1990s when they started on the Nintendo Game Boy and Pokemon trading cards were popular in school playgrounds.

This is the first time it has made its way on to a smartphone.