The last two surviving members of a congregation who have worshipped at the same church for more 50 years were 'heartbroken' this week after it was closed for safety reasons. Barbara Thoms, 75, and Ruth Blatchford, 88, have worshipped together at St John's church in Polperro since they met there in 1952. The church had a healthy congregation of 35 then, but dwindling faith and deaths among the faithful left them as the only surviving members since 2005. Now the devout pair have been told they can no longer attend the 170-year-old church because its public liability insurance was revoked due to a crumbling wall. Grandmother-of-two Mrs Blatchford, who was in the church choir as a teenager in the 1930s, said: 'I find it very sad I can't end my days worshipping here. 'I've been breaking my heart over it and because of my age it's just impossible for me to travel to another church. 'I feel very, very sad about it closing down. The congregation size has been going downwards for a long time so it's usually just me and Barbara there.' St John's vicar Reverend Linda Smith told a Parochial Church Council meeting it would cost between £10,000 and £15,000 to make the necessary repairs – but the church coffers are empty.