Power of the church going green

St Mary's may soon have its own power source. Picture: Simon Knott

A 13th Century village church is aiming to install solar panels as part of an environmentally friendly fund-raising scheme.

Parish officials hope the panels will produce more than enough power to light St Mary's in Lidgate, Suffolk.

They plan to sell the excess electricity back to the National Grid.

St Mary's is thought to be one of the first churches in the country to try to generate power and extra money in such a fashion.

Church warden Michael McEvoy said the scheme, which will cost £12,000, will not spoil the church's architecture.