CENTURIES of weathering to three stone statues set in the tower of Bromsgrove's ancient parish church has done what 16th century religious wreckers failed to do at the time of the Reformation.

The three figures, said to be St Peter holding a key and book, St John the Baptist in the centre and St Paul with a sword and open book, are situated in a niche some 50 feet above the ground, above the great west window.

Steeplejacks, who were carrying out a detailed inspection of the stonework as part of the St John's Landmark Appeal to raise cash to repair the church, found them to be unsafe.

Abseiling from the tower battlements close on 100 feet above the ground, steeplejack Bill Ashton used iron rods and webbing to temporarily secure the statues.

Jenny Ashmore, who chairs the church fabric fund, said the statues will be taken down and repaired next spring when work on the church's roof and stonework begins.

It appears that the 15th century six feet-tall figures escaped being desecrated at the time of the Reformation, when hundreds of religious buildings were sacked, simply because they were inaccessible.

The steeplejacks' report is bad news for the appeal's fundraising team, which has set itself a target of raising £500,000 in 18 months to repair the church and restore the organ.

Jenny said one face of the octagonal 109 feet tall spire is badly worn and will need costly restoration work.

"However, now that the full survey of both church and spire is complete, there should be no more big surprises," she said.

St John's is open every Saturday from 11am to 3.30pm for people to see for themselves how the problems of maintaining the church for future generation to worship in and enjoy are being tackled.