Quake-hit church to remain closed

The parishioners will worship in the village hall

Churchgoers in a Leicestershire village will have to wait at least a month before they can return to their earthquake-hit church.

Repairs have not yet started on the village church in Waltham on the Wolds.

The church and churchyard remain closed for safety reasons and the Easter Sunday service will be held in the village hall.

The spire was cracked in a 5.2-magnitude earthquake that hit England on 27 February.

Rev Beverley Stark said: "Until scaffolding is in place it is not safe - it will take three weeks to get the scaffolding ready.

"We first noticed that the tower was twisted and huge cracks began to appear on the spire," she said.

Bell ringers discovered the cracks after their bells would not ring properly because one of the bells had come off its wheel track.

The top 30 ft (9.1m) of the 17th Century tower will be dismantled and rebuilt to make it safe.

The Mothering Sunday service was moved to a church in nearby Stonesby.