Cambridge church where roof collapsed on to funeral coffin faces £150k repair bill

• Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Stuart Leithes

A church where the roof collapsed on a coffin as a funeral was taking place is facing a £150,000 bill for urgent repairs.

The 19th-century Church of Christ in Cambridgeshire was closed after plaster fell from the ceiling during the ceremony.

The church warden said the building had been in a poor state for some time but the disruption to the funeral was "the final straw".

"Unfortunately during the service a sizeable piece of plaster fell down and landed on the coffin. It could have been worse, it could have landed on a person," Helen Chappell told ITV News Anglia.

"Bits have been falling down for some time but this was like the final straw when it happened in a service when people are grieving."

The church in Christchurch, near March in east Cambridgeshire, dates from the 1860s.

A few months ago the building, which has been at the heart of the community for more than 150 years, was declared unfit for public use.

As well as damage to the roof, the Victorian drainage has also collapsed, leading to water damaging the floor.

That repair is another cost the church will have to factor into the £150,000 fundraising.

"Obviously as a small village we can't raise that sort of money alone, so we will be applying for grants, but of course you have to provide a certain amount of money for that grant to be awarded" said Ms Chappell.

The regular congregation has moved meetings to the local village hall.

The hope is that sufficient funds can be raised to ensure the historic building is not permanently closed.

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