Zion Baptist Church in Cambridge hosted a Doctor Who service with a Tardis replica and Blue Peter star Peter Purves

A Doctor Who-loving vicar has conducted a church service featuring a Tardis – with an iconic sci-fi legend in attendance.

Zion Baptist Church, in Cambridge, received the replica police box modelled on the one from the BBC programme, with actor Peter Purves performing the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 87-year-old is renowned for portraying Steven Taylor, a companion of the First Doctor played by William Hartnell, before later becoming a Blue Peter presenter.

Devoted fan Reverend Jason de-Vaux said there weren’t many churches that could claim to house the legendary box.

Rev de-Vaux, 57, said: “It is amazing to be able to pick on your favourite sci-fi show and bring it within your own faith context. There are interesting parallels with the Christian faith and the show. Jesus died and he rose again. When Jesus rises again, his followers did not recognise him. Doctor Who regenerates and his companions don’t recognise him.

“The world needs a saviour in Jesus Christ and Doctor Who is looked upon as a saviour of the planet.”

Rev de-Vaux had originally given some advice to the owner of the then run-down Tardis who wished to restore the replica. However, the previous owner offered de-Vaux the Tardis free of charge from its location in Suffolk. It was transported to Zion Baptist Church, constructed in 1837, where it underwent restoration.

The reverend, who has served at Zion Baptist Church for four years, said: “When it was being placed over the wall into the courtyard, we must have had 100 students from the university shouting, ‘It’s the Tardis!’

“It was like Beatlemania. Everyone was stopping to take pictures. They thought we were filming for a Christmas special.”

Reverend de-Vaux has followed the programme since Jon Pertwee’s era in the 1970s, when he was four years old.

He said: “I remember watching the last series of Pertwee in black and white. Then he regenerated and my grandparents had a colour TV. He was a different person – because it was then Tom Baker. Four-year-old me was really upset.”

Zion Baptist Church hosted their own Doctor Who service on Sunday (April 12), attended by Peter Purves and numerous devotees of the programme, with some dressed as their favourite Doctors.

Rev de-Vaux said: “We can use the cultural phenomenon of Doctor Who with the Christian faith. We had good proof of that when we had 75 people sitting in our church for the service. It’s a parallel that can be used to bring hope into the world we currently live in.”

The reverend noted that Peter Purves was “very gracious” at the occasion, which featured cake cutting and a Dalek.

He added: “We’ve been asked to do some filming throughout the summer with the Tardis and we’re open to anyone who wants to throw a Doctor Who Party.

“The local bookies had me down for 1000/1 to be the new Doctor. I wouldn’t turn the part down but we all look forward to who it’s going to be.”