HARTLEY Wintney and the surrounding area will be rocking to the sound of its very own radio station this weekend - broadcast from the back of the village church!

Radio Hartley Wintney at 87.7FM is the brainchild of the Reverend Arthur Botham (pictured), curate of St John's Church, and will take to the airwaves thanks to an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

The station, which is part of a week of activities forging links between the church and the community, will begin broadcasting to a potential audience of 40,000 people from Hartley Wintney, Odiham and Fleet from 8am today until midnight on Sunday.

Manned by 14 local amateur DJs, the station promises to appeal to a wide audience with a blend of celebrity interviews, local news, talk shows, phone-ins, and contemporary Christian music from artists such as pop singer Jaci Velasquez and rap group The Tribe.

The Rev Botham said that a number of celebrity guests have also been lined up, including Radio 4's Sue MacGregor, former host of the Today programme, Marylyn Abbott of West Green House, and Michael Scott-Joynt, the Bishop of Winchester.

The church has been granted a special licence from the Radio Authority in order to broadcast, and a specially-erected antenna on the church roof will transmit the station to people living in a four-mile radius. A hi-tech studio has also been created at the back of the church with equipment provided by the satellite Christian broadcaster UCB.

The Rev Botham said: "The idea is to show that Christian music is not just about hymns, and also to raise the profile of the church in the community and show people that it is not dull or irrelevant."

He added: "We are all amateur broadcasters, so there will be no Terry Wogans or Gloria Hunnifords! This is a little bit different and it should be fun."