THE first secular christenings' have taken place in Taunton.

Jack Hiett, aged five months, was welcomed' at Taunton Register Office.

And family and friends attended a special celebration for Lila Yard, nine months, at the Holiday Inn.

In both cases, the non-churchgoing parents felt a christening would have been hypocritical.

They signed up for Somerset County Council registration service's welcome ceremony - a secular event along similar lines to civil weddings and partnerships.

Jack's parents, Zoe and Martin Hiett, of Broughton Close, invited 50 guests to his register office ceremony.

Mrs Hiett said: "We don't go to church, so when we got married we decided to have a civil wedding.

"In the same way, we didn't want to get Jack christened, but we wanted to celebrate his birth and have a get together.

"We were delighted - it's a good idea and it's nice to have the option and to still have a celebration."

Paul and Suzi Yard, of Killams Green, also wanted a non-religious celebration for Lila.

Mr Yard said: "Neither of us are church people and we don't feel it's right to force that on our daughter when she's not old enough to make her own decisions.

"The welcome ceremony was a good way of getting family and friends together to celebrate our daughter's birth - I can't think of anything more worthy of a celebration.

"It gave us an option that wasn't there before."

The welcome ceremony is available seven days a week at register offices and more than 75 approved venues across Somerset.