Llandaff Cathedral is taking steps to address a significant budget deficit.

The cathedral is exploring ways to increase income and reduce expenditure in a bid to safeguard the future of its ministry.

Costcutting measures are affecting spending on energy and staff, and parishioners are being asked to increase their giving.

The deficit stands at £81,000 and the Cathedral Dean and Chapter are considering meeting the majority of this cost by downsizing the choir.

They predict that reducing the size of the choir would make a saving of around £50,000. The assistant organist, a choral scholar and five lay clerks are all facing redundancy.

Cathedral officials are proposing to keep a budget that will be used to pay adult choristers on an occasional basis to sing with boy choristers on weekend services and special seasons like Advent and Christmas.

A spokesperson for Llandaff Cathedral said, "It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken the decision to put a number of roles in the Cathedral at risk of redundancy.

"However, we have a duty to be financially responsible and cannot run on a continuing deficit. We have considered all our options very carefully and feel these plans are the best way forward to enable us to save money while ensuring our choral tradition remains as good as it can be, and our music ministry has a secure future."