REPAIRS to one of Worcester's most famous churches have finally got under way.

It has taken four weeks for the scaffolding around St Clement's Church, Henwick Road, to be put up and now the re-rendering of the grade II listed building can begin.

The church, built in 1823, is of the Neo-Norman style and was the first of its kind to built in the country.

John Chidlow, master of fabric at the church, said an inspection a few years ago highlighted that major repairs were needed.

He said: "Over the years we've carried out work, especially to the tower which is quite ornate, but the weather has been the major contributor to the problem.

"We are chipping the old rendering away and using a special mix of new render, a material as near to the original as possible."

Mr Chidlow added that the work would not be possible without donations from the public. The entire project, including the first stage reports, is costing more than £160,000, half of which is being provided through an English Heritage grant.

Churchwarden Margaret Dixon said after the outside had been re-rendered attention would turn to the interior of the church.

She said: "The inside has been damaged by the wet and the damp.

"When work outside is completed we will start fund-raising all over again to raise the money to repair the inside.

"It is an ongoing cycle."

Coffee mornings to raise money for the repair project are held on Saturday mornings, between 10am and noon.

Weather permitting, the work will be complete by June.