PARISHIONERS are celebrating after taking a major step towards replacing the roof of their 110-year-old Worcester church.

The St George's CE Church has been handed £149,000 from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the slate roof.

Repairs will also be carried out on windows, stone work and guttering, with cast-iron pieces in-keeping with the church's original style replacing 1970s PVC piping.

Church warden Ian Pattison said the additional work had been on hold until the leaking roof was dealt with.

"We're delighted that the grant has come through," said Mr Pattison.

"It's lasted with running repairs but when you're spending money on that you're throwing it away," said Mr Pattison, who helped secure the grant for the Barbourne church.

"It wants to be done properly from the outside and if we get it right it stops water from coming in causing damage in other places.

"It's 110 years old and that's the life of a slate roof.

"There are various other jobs to do in the church but without the roof right there's no point doing them."

A Friends of St George's Church group has now been set up to launch an appeal to raise an additional £85,000 for the work to start.

Mr Pattison said other grants will be applied for and that the refurbishment could begin next summer.

He now expects the repairs project will last about two years.