Battle over ancient church is won

The church is 1,000 years old

A 1,000-year-old church threatened by an application to expand an Essex airport has been saved.

St Laurence's Church is near the end of a runway at Southend Airport and plans for passenger services meant it would have to be moved or demolished.

A new approach to safety means the church can stay as road barriers, CCTV are in place and runway aerials have been resited.

Now the airport can formally withdraw its application to relocate the church.

The original scheme had been dogged by local opposition, with almost 6,000 letters being sent from objectors to the town council.