A rabbi has said the atmosphere at the first service in his synagogue’s new building was “fantastic”

Rabbi Alex Chapper, of Ilford Federation Synagogue, Coventry Road, Ilford said the first service attracted almost twice the usual attendance.

The congregation will formally move to the new location in Beehive Lane, Gants Hill, next summer.

Mr Chapper said: “This is a very exciting moment, not just in the history of this community, but in its future.

“This service proves that we’re able to transplant the tremendous communal spirit at Coventry Road into a new facility and we can look ahead with great expectation.”

The new synagogue will be in the former Dennis Centre, which is smaller and more modern than the Coventry Road site.

Before the Dennis Centre opened, the building was continuously used as a synagogue from 1938.