STAFF at Truro Cathedral's struggling Benson's restaurant are hoping for divine intervention after being told they face getting the Holy order of the boot.

A review by the cathedral bosses has found that the Benson's daily diet of meat and two veg is not worshipped by the customers who are voting with their feet and heading elsewhere.If nothing is done about it then the restaurant would have to close.

Competition is so stiff in Truro that the restaurant, which is supposed to make money for the cathedral is losing it hand over fist and unless there is some kind of miracle things will have to change.

Cathedral spokesman Colin Reid said there was no truth in the rumour that the staff were being forced to re-apply for their jobs because they were too old and slow.

"There has been a review of operations because the restaurant has struggled to make a profit," he said. "The directors of Truro Cathedral Ltd, the commercial arm of the cathedral for the shop and restaurant, had a report commissioned which showed a way forward to develop the restaurant in a more up market way. Profits from the shop and restaurant go towards worship and restoration of the cathedral.

"It is important that we make more of the space than we do at the moment. The staff are in the process of having interviews as we have now changed their job descriptions. There is no truth that they are to old, our staff go across a whole age range."

However the cathedral has confirmed it will no longer take students with learning difficulties from Pencalenick School in the new year or volunteers, some of whom are elderly. Students from the special school near Truro have been working at the restaurant for the past ten years to help boost their confidence. Staff at the school say it will be a bitter blow to the pupils. The whole restaurant is to be revamped with an emphasis on light meals rather than heavy ones and new décor, tables and chairs. It is hoped that the restaurant will be re-launched in January.

"Because of the competitive environment in Truro we are going to have to respond to that or shut the restaurant all together," said Mr Reid.