POLICE and fire investigators are treating a blaze at a Winyates church as arson.

The fire started in a bin in the entrance to St Gregory's RC Church at about 11.45 today.

Four fire crews from Redditch and Bromsgrove were on the scene in minutes to find smoke billowing from the roof and sides of the church.

The blaze was extinguished in about half-an-hour but the church entrance and part of the roof was gutted and the building smoke-logged.

It is thought the church was in use when the fire started but no-one was injured.

Anyone with information can ring Redditch police, north east sector on 584888 or Crimestopper anonymously on 0800 555 111.