OXON: Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry, pictured, has called on churches to respect visitors when dealing with bat infestations.

In his role as a spokesman for the Church of England in the House of Commons, Sir Tony answered a question on the subject on Tuesday.

He said in some cases bat roosts became “so large that they are disruptive to the life of the parish”, and added that “extensive and regular cleaning” was required to allow churches to continue to be in active public use.