A Pilates class in a church hall came to a halt when members spotted young people wandering in the graveyard outside.

Curiosity turned to concern when they realised the unlikely visitors were playing the hit game Pokémon Go.

Charlie Carter, 48, of Abbots Langley, was teaching Pilates at All Saints church hall in Garston at around 8pm on Monday when her class members noticed people on their smartphones peering through the window and walking around the graves.

Mrs Carter thought that the people - all in their late 20s - may have lost something so went outside to see if they were ok.

She said: “One woman looked embarrassed and quickly walked away, but the man she was with giggled and told me that they were playing Pokémon Go.

“I don’t have a problem with the game, I think it’s a great way of getting people out and about, but I thought it was disrespectful playing it in a graveyard.”

Pokémon Go has taken the UK by storm with thousands of users signing up to the 1990s-inspired game, in which monsters appear on a map in the game, which uses data from the real world.

Historical markers, monuments and art installations have been designated by programmers as ‘Pokéstops’ or ‘Gyms’, where gamers can collect resources and battle their monsters.

According to the gamers, the Pokémon were in the church hall so they were trying to get as close to the building as possible to 'catch' the characters.

The church is one of the hotspots for a similar game called Ingress, developed by Niantic. As the company then went on to programme Pokémon Go, the large data base of landmarks was transferred.

The Rev Eddie Green, vicar of All Saints Church, said Pokémon players were welcome to visit the site.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the church is a Pokéstop. The church hall is also a Pokémon Gym, where players can battle their Pokémon. There are a number of Pokéstops in Watford and many of those are churches.

“Churches tend to be hidden gems of the community, people often forget they are there.

"A lot of people don’t appreciate them as buildings, services to the community or places of worship. I think the churchyards being used by Pokémon players raises awareness in the community, especially among younger people.”

The vicar, who is a Pokémon Go player himself, stressed that if players are to use the churches to catch Pokémon, they should make sure that they behave in a respectful manner.

The Church of England’s tumblr page states that the church should provide a safe place for children and vulnerable adults to play the mobile game.

It also says that churches have a great opportunity to meet people from their local area who might not normally come to church.

It also lists how churches can get involved with Pokémon Go, these suggestions include hosting a Poképarty, Pokémon related social media posts and to encourage players to come inside the church and offer drinks and snacks.

The game has caused debate on social media. Steve Watson on Kings Langley Matters Facebook group said: “At least it gets the churches used, as long as they respect the graves I don’t have an issue.

"Churches and congregations have been in massive decline for decades, good to see them finding a use in the community."

Leanne Morris, another Facebook user, said: “It’s disrespectful in my opinion. If I was visiting someone I had lost, I wouldn’t want kids and adults running around chasing Pokémon!”

Jo Hancock, another member of the Facebook group, said: “A graveyard is a place for others to grieve and to see some children, and adults even, laughing and joking around can be shown as disrespectful.

"Although personally, if it was my grave, I think I would see some comfort that there are people around living their lives and having fun."

Have you been playing the game? Comment below or email editor@watfordobserver.co.uk.