A CHURCH offered free Wifi, refreshments and phone recharging to Pokémon GO after discovering it was a PokeGym.

Parishioners were puzzled when groups of people wielding mobile phones kept turning up outside The Rainbow Hill Centre.

They discovered the church had been designated a PokéGym and decided to set welcome 'All Pokémon great and small' with a pop up refreshment area outside the church and the community centre building on Astwood Road on Saturday.

A chalk tally board was left for visitors to the church ‘gym’ to show that they have been there with the opportunity to leave a comment to encourage neighbouring gamers.

Pokémon Go was released in the UK and has taken the world by storm with players using maps on the mobile phones to find Pokémon creatures, gyms and stops in real life locations.

Rev Ian Spence said it was great watching people with their phones gravitate towards the church and community building to locate the ‘gym’.

"It was also really good to watch the young people there teach others how to use the game on their phones."

Rev Spence was also impressed by the conversations that were happening,

“People were discovering fellow gamers who lived on the same street and engaging in conversations inspired by their common enjoyment of the Pokémon Go game."

Ten well known Worcester landmarks which are also PokeStops

1. Lea and Perrins Factory, Midland Road

2. Clock Tower, Castle Street

3. University of Worcester, City Campus, Castle Street

4. Tallow Hill, Worcester

5. The Maple Leaf, Canada Way, Lower Wick

6. Asda, Silver Street

7. Costa Coffee, The Cross

8. Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witness, Park Street

9. Old Kiln, St Martin's Quarter

10. Wall plaque, City Walls Road